Report: Don Mattingly Is Out

Jon Heyman:

Don Mattingly and the Dodgers will part ways, sources tell CBSSports.com.

The decision is being described as mutual.

Dodgers higherups like Mattingly very much, but it was apparent there wasn’t support for the long-term. Word is Mattingly felt he was treated very well by baseball president Andrew Friedman and others, but the sides ultimately decided it was better to move on.

An announcement is expected later Thursday.

Well, then.

As to whether this is the right move, well, we’ve talked about this just endlessly, including a few days ago. You know my take, which is that he’s a somewhat flawed tactician who was put into some dreadful situtations — please tell me you haven’t forgotten the 2011-12 bankruptcy saga — and managed to get to the playoffs three times in a row.

As I’ve also said, he’s not irreplaceable and you understand that a new(ish) regime will want their own man, and I’m fascinated to see who that might be. But tap-dancing on his grave, as though he’s the big bad wolf, the one who is solely responsible for not winning a title? Nah. Not here. Not from me. I will say, I suppose, that I’m at least thrilled we won’t have to go through this for another year.

So long, Don. Don’t think you’ll be unemployed for long. Miami, or Washington, or somewhere else, will be happy to have you.

Update: Interesting. According to ESPN…

Mattingly had one year remaining on his contract, and sources indicated to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that the Dodgers offered him an extension this past weekend. But after years of uncertainty about the Dodgers’ long-term commitment to him — Mattingly has worked under two different ownership groups and two different general managers — he informed the team earlier this week that he preferred to move on from the team.

After a week of discussions with the Dodgers, sources indicated Mattingly simply felt he’d be more comfortable working for a front office and ownership group that had hired him, instead of constantly trying to adapt to someone else’s vision.

That does put a different spin on it, doesn’t it?

Update 2: Official.

The Dodgers and Don Mattingly have mutually agreed that Mattingly will not return to manage the club in 2016. pic.twitter.com/60xujjrob6

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 22, 2015