The five-year marriage between Don Mattingly and the Los Angeles Dodgers came to an end Thursday as the two sides announced they had mutually agreed to part ways, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
It was a disappointing finish to Mattingly’s tenure as manager of the team. The Dodgers finished over .500 in each of his five seasons at the helm, making the postseason in each of the last three years, but their last two playoff appearances ended in the National League Division Series.
To put a final bow on this era of Dodgers baseball, Mattingly and members of the Los Angeles front office met with the media to discuss Thursday’s decision and what it means for both the former skipper and the franchise in the future.
Starting off, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman emphasized that the parting of ways was mutual, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register:
Mattingly would expand on why he agreed to the decision, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times:
The use of the phrase “part ways” will always lead to skepticism, though it isn’t always wrong. Los Angeles hired Mattingly when Ned Colletti was the general manager. When Friedman came on board in October 2014, he brought in Farhan Zaidi as general manager and Josh Byrnes as senior vice president of baseball operations.
Every regime will have a different philosophy. Mattingly worked with this group for a year and had some success before the two sides went different ways.
Per Shaikin, Mattingly did say that he felt wanted by the Dodgers and added that he “loved” the various analytics that were presented to him by the new-look front office before adding that this is best for both sides:
Per Plunkett, Mattingly offered high praise to the trio of Friedman, Zaidi and Byrnes and where the franchise is going:
Friedman did note, per Plunkett, that today’s decision “wasn’t tied to the outcome of the NLDS” against the New York Mets.
Looking to the future, Mattingly and the Dodgers have a lot of big decisions to make. He doesn’t sound like someone who wants to be out of the dugout for long, per Shaikin:
The Dodgers will become the most attractive managerial opening in the offseason. No team can match their combination of financial resources, front-office credentials and willingness to adapt.
It also doesn’t hurt to have Clayton Kershaw leading the rotation, though Zack Greinke’s opt-out clause will create some panic behind the left-hander if the Dodgers can’t reach a deal with their right-handed ace.
Friedman said during the presser, per Plunkett, that the Dodgers “expect to have a new manager in place” before the winter meetings begin December 7.
Also of note, from Plunkett, Zaidi anticipates that the Dodgers will “have a younger team going forward.” Age is key for this franchise, as it started 2015 with the eighth-oldest roster in baseball. A lot of the team’s older players—in this case, anyone over 30—are eating up a lot of money.
Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Howie Kendrick, Jimmy Rollins, Andre Ethier and Brandon McCarthy combined to make roughly $94.7 million last season. Using FanGraphs’ wins above replacement, those six combined for a WAR of 8.3; Kershaw’s WAR in 2015 was 8.6.
There were many problems for the Dodgers this season, beyond Mattingly’s tactics or understanding of the analytics at his disposal.
Sometimes, being able to get a clean break can work out best for everyone. Mattingly will now have an opportunity to interview for other managerial openings if he wants. The Dodgers can conduct a thorough search to get the right manager for what the franchise needs moving forward.
Thursday’s press conference between the Dodgers and Mattingly gave them an opportunity to clear the air before taking the next steps in their baseball journeys.
Contract info via Cot’s Baseball Contracts.
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