Don Mattingly Still Unsure About His Dodgers Future

A first-round playoff victory over the Atlanta Braves has vested the 2014 contract option of Don Mattingly, however, he may choose not to return.

According to Mattingly he isn’t happy about how he was forced to manage the clubhouse in his last year on contract.

“When you’re put in this situation, the organization basically says, ‘We don’t know if you can manage or not,'” Mattingly said. “So, that’s the position I’ve been in all season long, so that’s not a great position for me as a manager. That’s the way it is, that’s the way the organization wanted it last year, that’s fine.”

If he chooses to remain with the team his contract will pay $1.4 million for the 2014 MLB season. Last week the Dodgers front office indicated that Don Mattingly would return. It appears that the clubs manager could be holding out for a multi-year deal.

General manager Ned Colletti believes the issue will be resolved “very quickly” while admitting, “I have tremendous confidence and faith in this guy.”

Don Mattingly’s time as manager of the Dodgers over the last three years has yielded a 260-225 record.

If Mattingly does not stay with the Dodgers he could quickly find a new home as several MLB franchises continue to actively seek out new managers.

If the end of the Dodger’s season is any indication, Mattingly will be given his multi-year deal. The team was 9½ games out of first place on June 21, but went on to win 42 of their next 50 games. The team finished 11 games ahead in the National League West.

After losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in six games of the National League Championship the teams manager said

“This has been a frustrating year, honestly. I think when you basically come in with a club like this as a lame duck with the payroll and the guys you have, it puts you in a tough spot in the clubhouse… I dealt with that all year long, and really what it does is puts me in a spot where everything that I do is questioned, because I’m basically trying out, auditioning to say, ‘Can you manage or can you not manage?’ To me, it gets to the point where you either know or you don’t.”

Do you think the Los Angeles Dodgers should give Don Mattingly his multi-year contract extension?