Reports: Miami Marlins hire Don Mattingly as manager
The Miami Marlins have hired Don Mattingly to be their next manager, according to multiple media reports.
Vice Sports, citing sources, reported that the deal is for four years. The Associated Press reported that the official announcement likely will be made after the World Series.
Mattingly stepped down as manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Oct. 22 with one year remaining on his contract. The Dodgers won 55 percent of their regular-season games in his five seasons (446-363), and he led the Dodgers to three straight National League West titles, a first in franchise history.
But he went 8-11 in the postseason. The Dodgers have not reached the World Series since winning the title in 1988 and lost to the New York Mets this year in the NL Division Series.
Including interim hires, Mattingly will be the Marlins' eighth manager since 2010 and the 15th to assume the role since the franchise began play in 1993. Just five of those 15 have managed at least 100 games with the Marlins, and of those five, only Jack McKeon, who managed for four seasons, had a winning record (281-257).
Mattingly, who interviewed for the job Monday, will face a big change in resources. The Dodgers led the majors by far this year with a payroll of $289.6 million; the Marlins ranked last at $64.9 million, and little change is expected in 2016.
The Marlins began their search earlier this month, after it was determined thatDan Jennings would not return in the role next season. Jennings had made the unusual move from GM to manager when the Marlins fired Mike Redmondin May after a 16-22 start.
The change failed to spark a turnaround, and the injury-riddled Marlins finished 71-91 in their sixth consecutive losing season.
Jennings was fired as GM on Thursday. President of baseball operations Michael Hill will handle the responsibilities of GM, as he has done since Jennings gave up the job.
"I just thought the way it was running since the middle of May was the way it should continue to run," team president David Samson said. "The ideas that Michael has as to how to turn this around are ideas that I think are right."
Miami does have roster full of young, talented players led by slugger Giancarlo Stanton and ace Jose Fernandez.
Other candidates to be interviewed for the Marlins job included former major league managers Manny Acta, Larry Bowa and Bo Porter.
Mattingly was a six-time All-Star and a .307 hitter with the New York Yankees from 1982 to 1995. Owner Jeffrey Loria is a New Yorker and Yankees fan.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
