Don Mattingly will ‘definitely’ manage Dodgers in 2015, says new boss Andrew Friedman
Will Don Mattingly manage the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015? Yes, says Andrew Friedman, the club’s new president of baseball operations.
Friedman, the front-office whiz who shaped the Tampa Bay Rays roster for nine years, was introduced Friday in his new role with the Dodgers. Deciding whether to keep Mattingly was one of Friedman’s first orders of business, and he gave Donnie Baseball his seal of approval.
For now, at least.
Friedman came aboard after the Dodgers’ disappointing postseason exit, losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS. Some were calling for the jobs of both Mattingly and general manager Ned Colletti. Hiring Friedman was basically replacing Colletti at GM, though Colletti remains with the Dodgers as an assistant to team president Stan Kasten.
A former Wall Street analyst, Friedman mixed that experience with baseball smarts to keep the low-budget Rays competitive in the rich AL East. He also worked closely with Rays manager Joe Maddon, a mad genius of sorts.
Speculation this week has said Friedman is waiting for a chance to hire Maddon as his manager again. Maddon’s contract in Tampa expires after this season. He has a home in SoCal and used to be Angels coach.
So, Don Mattingly, you are on the clock.
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Mike Oz is an editor for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
