Don Mattingly Won’t Return as Marlins Manager in 2023
The Miami Marlins will be in search of a new manager this off-season, something the franchise hasn’t needed to do since 2015.
Prior to Sunday’s finale versus the Washington Nationals, manager Don Mattingly and the team announced that they’re planning to mutually part ways after the 2022 season. The 61-year-old’s contract runs out following this season and won’t be extended once it expires.
Both Mattingly and chairman/principal owner Bruce Sherman released separate statements confirming the breakup, ensuring that his seventh season as manager will be his last.
“We are fortunate to have had Don Mattingly leading our team on the field over the last seven years. He has represented the Marlins, our players, our fans, and the South Florida community with unmatched dignity and pride,” Sherman said. “Over the course of our recent conversations with Don, we both agreed not to pursue a new contract for the 2023 season and that the time is right for a new voice to lead our clubhouse.
“He will depart with the most wins and most games managed in franchise history and we are proud of Don’s many accomplishments, including winning National League Manager of the Year in 2022 when he guided the Marlins to the postseason after a 16-year absence.”
Mattingly was named manager of the Marlins ahead of the 2016 season, finishing 79-82 during his inaugural campaign. He led the franchise to its first playoff berth since 2003 – when they won the World Series – during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, losing in the NLDS.
But after seven seasons, spanning over 1,000 games, the 2020 NL Manager of the Year decided it was time for a new voice in the clubhouse.
“Today I am announcing that I will not be seeking a contract extension with the Miami Marlins,” Mattingly said. “After meeting with Mr. Sherman and discussing with Kim Ng, all parties agreed that it was time for a new voice for the organization. I am proud and honoured to have served as manager of the Marlins for the past seven years and have enjoyed my experiences and relationships I’ve developed within the organization. I look forward to spending time with my family in Evansville, and to any future endeavours.”
Following Sunday’s 6-1 loss to the Nationals, Mattingly went into further detail about the mutual decision to part ways, saying he believes this is the correct move for the organization moving forward.
Following five seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Mattingly left the organization after the 2015 campaign, joining the Marlins immediately afterwards. At the time, Miami was largely built around its three best sluggers: Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna.
Due to financial restrictions, however, all three players were eventually traded, commencing the start of their current rebuild. But that didn’t stop the veteran skipper from creating a new culture inside a young and inexperienced clubhouse.
While Mattingly’s tenure with the Marlins isn’t ending with another postseason appearance, he still deserves a ton of credit for his accomplishments. After all, he’ll remain the franchise’s all-time leader in total seasons (seven), games (1,020) and wins (437).
Before transitioning to a manager, Mattingly played 14 big-league seasons, all with the New York Yankees. The six-time All-Star retired after the 1995 campaign, finishing with 2,153 hits, 222 home runs, 1,099 RBIs and a .830 OPS across 1,785 career games.
The Evansville, Indiana, native was named the AL’s most valuable player in 1985 and finished as the runner-up the following season. He won nine Gold Gloves and three Silver Sluggers during his playing days.
Whomever ends up replacing Mattingly will become the 16th manager in franchise history.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85
Photo: Ken Lund. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.