Miami Marlins to hire Don Mattingly as manager

The Miami Marlins are set to hire Don Mattingly as their new manager. The news was first reported by Molly Knight of Vice Sports.

The Marlins were quickly identified as the frontrunner to land Mattingly after he and the Los Angeles Dodgers decided to part ways a week ago. It now appears that a deal has been reached on a four-year contract, according to Knight’s source.

Miami has never exactly been the safest haven for managers. In the team’s 23-year history, no skipper has remained at the helm for more than four seasons (Rene Lachemann and Fredi Gonzalez co-share that honor). Since 2010, the franchise has filled the role with a staggering eight different people.

They began the 2015 campaign with Mike Redmond in charge, but he was fired in May after an underwhelming 16-22 start. In a shock move, general manager Dan Jennings switched from the front office to the dugout, filling the manager’s chair for the rest of the season. Some saw it as a cost-cutting strategy for the famously stingy club.

Marlins officials announced shortly after the completion of the regular season that Jennings would not continue his stint as manager, although they wanted him to stay on as GM. There are now doubts that he will even remain in that capacity, as he was apparently not present during the team’s managerial interviews.

Mattingly is coming off a successful run with the Dodgers in which they captured three consecutive NL West division titles. The expensive squad’s failure to go deeper into the postseason, however, ultimately doomed him. Los Angeles’ unwillingness to commit long-term to Mattingly reportedly drove the split.

Of course, Donnie Baseball’s new home comes with its own concerns and complications. As Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out, he escapes the high-pressure environment of the Dodgers only to find himself working under Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, notoriously one of baseball’s most difficult personalities.

Loria is supposedly a long-time admirer of Mattingly, though, extending back to his playing career with the Yankees. For that reason he may be more patient with him than his other recent skippers. Although that seems a bit idealistic considering Loria’s track record.

According to Knight, the Marlins will likely make an official announcement of Mattingly’s hire after the World Series. When they do, he will get to work helping the young, developing squad improve on this year’s disappointing 71-91 finish.

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