Dwork On Sports: Mattingly A Great Fit For Marlins Manager Job
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Welcome to the Dwork On Sports blog. This is a place where I'll cover all things related to South Florida sports, with a steady combination of facts and opinions while ultimately keeping a close eye on anything and everything related to our local teams.
It's starting to look like the Miami Marlins' wishes to bring in a big-name manager will be granted.
Former New York Yankees great and Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly interviewed with the Marlins on Monday and both sides are reportedly interested in inking a deal sometime this week.
There are a few reasons why Mattingly is a good fit for the opening in Miami.
Mattingly has said on multiple occasions that he likes working with young players and is intrigued by the Marlins roster, which includes several young, talented guys at the Major League level as well as in the minors.
Mattingly wants to hire his own coaching staff. The Marlins have already said that they will allow whoever they hire to pick their staff.
Mattingly wants to be paid well. Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria has never had a problem paying a high price for a manager he deems worthy, which Mattingly would certainly be.
Last season Mattingly made $1.5 million for the Dodgers and would've made $1.6 million in 2016, which he will still receive should he choose not to take a managerial job next season. That doesn't appear to be likely though as he's already said that he wants to manage in 2016.
And for what it's worth, Loria has been a fan of Mattingly since his playing days with the Yankees.
It's a little bewildering that the Dodgers wanted to let Mattingly go considering the success they've had under his watch during the past five years.
He led Los Angeles to three straight National League West championships from 2013 to 2015 and finished his time there with a 446-363 record (good for a .551 win percentage).
The issue is with Mattingly's playoff record, which is 8-11 and includes no trips to the World Series.
There are currently two other NL teams looking for a new manager in San Diego and Washington, but neither have expressed interest in Mattingly.
The Marlins have interviewed past MLB managers Manny Acta, Larry Bowa, Rick Renteria and Bo Porter, as well as former players Phil Nevin and Alex Cora, for the job but it's becoming clear that Mattingly is at the top of their list.
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