Manager roundup: Mattingly, Dodgers won’t talk until offseason
With Joe Girardi signing a new deal, there are only three managerial positions open in the MLB.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers and manager Don Mattingly have not yet discussed a new contract and will wait until after the playoffs to do so, reports the Los Angeles Times.
“I really don’t want to speak about my contract at all,” Mattingly told reporters. “I don’t think it’s the right time. We’re talking about winning games. That’s all I’m concerned about.”
Mattingly led the Dodgers to a divisional title in 2013 and now has brought them to the League Championship Series after a series win against the Braves in the NLDS. The Dodgers are rumored to be leaning towards retaining their manager, but his three-year contract will expire following the season. The Dodgers do hold a $1.4 million option for 2014, making his situation less dire than it might otherwise be.
The Dodgers and Mattingly are both keeping tight-lipped about any negotiations. Mattingly had been a rumored possibility to manage the Yankees, but with Joe Girardi signing a four year deal to stay in New York that option has been eliminated.
Paul O'Neill a Reds candidate?
Long-time Reds and Yankees star outfielder Paul O’Neill has spoken to Cincinnati owner Bob Castellini about the team’s vacant managerial position, reports Michael Kay of the YES Network. Piniella is currently an announcer for the Yankees.
O’Neill played in eight seasons for the Reds at the beginning of his career, hitting 96 home runs and posting a 767 OPS over 799 games. He may not have any managerial experience, but O’Neill has had experience with managers.
When O’Neill played in Cincinnati, he and manager Lou Piniella had their share of arguments. One of their biggest issues was Piniella’s belief that O’Neill should change his swing, which led to O’Neill hitting 28 home runs and making his first all-star team in 1991.
Former outfielders who went on to become managers are rare in the MLB, with Piniella being a rare example. Other notable outfielders-turned-managers include Casey Stengel and Whitey Herzog.
Walt Weiss nearing an extension
Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort says the team will sign manager Walt Weiss to a contract extension by the end of the week, reports the Denver Post.
In his first year with the team, Weiss led the Rockies to a 74-88 record. He took a one-year deal as a rookie manager, but has been looking for a multi-year extension in hopes of added job security.
Monfort says the team won’t “do a one-year handshake agreement” and that their deal will assure they see a future in Weiss.
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