Marlins officially hire Don Mattingly as new manager
The Miami Marlins have officially hired Don Mattingly as their new manager, introducing him in a press conference on Tuesday at Marlins Park.
The official announcement confirms reports from last week that the Marlins had tabbed Mattingly for the position, but were waiting until the end of the World Series to make the announcement. The length of Mattingly’s contract is reported to be four seasons.
Mattingly’s hiring fills a vacancy opened when the Marlins informed interim manager Dan Jennings that he would not be retained for the 2016 season. Jennings was also fired as general manager last week.
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Mattingly left his position as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ manager on Oct. 22, a week after the team’s elimination from the National League Divisional Series at the hands of the New York Mets. In five seasons with the Dodgers, Mattingly led his squad to three NL West division titles and a 446–363 record, though Los Angeles never advanced beyond the National League Championship Series under his watch.
As Miami's new manager, Mattingly will be departing the team with the highest payroll in baseball for the team with the lowest. The Dodgers ended the season with a payroll of $289.6 million, compared to just $64.9 million for the Marlins.
Mattingly also inherits a team that has struggled for most of the last decade. The Marlins have posted losing records each of the last six seasons and have have not made the playoffs since winning the World Series in 2003.
