SEATTLE -- Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln plans to sit down with manager Lou Piniella and All-Star shortstop Alex Rodriguez after the season to talk about their futures in Seattle.

Piniella is in his last year of his contract and Rodriguez is eligible for free agency after the World Series.

"We're going to sit down with Lou after the season," Lincoln said before Wednesday night's game between the Mariners and Texas Rangers. "We'll do the same thing with Alex.

He denied a report in the Toronto Globe and Mail this week that said sources close to Mariners general manager Pat Gillick and Boston manager Jimy Williams already have an informal agreement that Williams will be named Seattle's manager after the World Series.

"That story is total nonsense. It has no basis," Lincoln said. "It really does everyone a disservice. Besides, Jimy Williams is under contract in Boston and we're not in the tampering business."

Piniella, 57, is in his eighth year in Seattle. He reportedly is earning $1.3 million to manage the Mariners this season.

Under Piniella, the Mariners are trying to win their third AL West title. Piniella managed Cincinnati to a World Series title in 1990, and managed Seattle to division crowns 1995 and '97.

Piniella has hired an agent and said he doesn't want to think about his future until after the season.

"We're going to sit down with Lou and have a glass of wine and see what we're going to do," said Lincoln, who said Gillick and team president Chuck Armstrong also will be at the meeting. "I think he's comfortable with that.

"Lou's done a tremendous job this season," Lincoln said. "He's done a great job of managing."

The Mariners promised Rodriguez, 25, a four-time All-Star and the first player taken in the 1993 June draft, that they would not talk contract during the season. Lincoln said in spring training that the team, if it was in contention, would not trade Rodriguez this season although there was the risk of losing him as a free agent at the end of the season.

"We'll talk to Alex and see where it goes from there," Lincoln said. "I feel good about our decision in spring training. We felt the best way to keep Alex was to have a winning team and we've had a winning team. We'll see where it goes from there."

Seattle has lost two franchise players in the past three seasons.

The Mariners traded Ken Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati in February because Griffey said he wanted to go to the Reds. He was headed into the final year of his contract in Seattle.

The Mariners traded Randy Johnson to Houston July 31, 1998, rather than risk losing him as a free agent at the end of the season.