Don Mattingly joined an enormous cast of free agent managers looking for employment in 2016. Rumors suggest the 54-year-old already has suitors, with the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals likely leading the way among the MLB.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported earlier today that Mattingly only wants to pursue managing. The Marlins and Nationals were mentioned as two possible destinations and neither come as a surprise.
Rumors earlier in the season suggested the Marlins were planning to make a run at Mattingly after 2015 especially if his tenure were to end in the Los Angeles, and that seems to be the case, according to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com.
However, it's hard to believe he would want to go to Miami, where owner Jeffrey Loria has been responsible for a large turnover in managers since the franchise's inception - there have been 14 skippers in the team's 23-year history and nine since the 2003 season.
Additionally, top-to-bottom, the Marlins just aren't that great.
Larry Bowa and Phil Nevin have already interviewed twice in Miami, but the Marlins are willing to put their situation "on hold" for Mattingly.
The Nationals provide a much more interesting case, but it's unknown how Mattingly's availability will affect their search. They've already had a number of candidates in for interviews (among other they have set up interviews with), including Bud Black, Ron Gardenhire, Dusty Baker, ESPN analyst Alex Cora, D-Backs minor league manager Phil Nevin, Giants bench coach Ron Wotus, D-Backs third-base coach Andy Green, Dodgers bench coach Tim Wallach and others.
Despite that, it's important to keep in mind the Nationals considered Mattingly in the past. General manager Mike Rizzo (as well as the team-owning Lerners) is said to be a big fan of Mattingly.
And now that the Dodgers are looking for a new manager, it could affect the Nats' search with their ongoing process.
"Don Mattingly's departure from Los Angeles early Thursday morning will have ripple effects across the majors, with the former All-Star first baseman now available for hire elsewhere and an attractive Dodgers job now open for several candidates already up for other managerial positions, including in Washington," writes Mark Zuckerman of CSN Mid-Atlantic.
Mattingly would be a safe hire to Rizzo, who is said to prefer managerial experience when considering candidates this time around. However, Sherman suggested the Dodgers wanted a more "star-friendly manager" and one who could "stand up more to players," so that could be an issue in Rizzo's hiring process.
Bud Black figures to be the favorite in Washington, but it's possible the Dodgers express interest in him as well.
Stay tuned for updates on where Mattingly might land next.
