Did the Marlins make the right decision keeping Don Mattingly?

With all the names floating around to fill open managerial spots, did the Marlins make the right move?

Don Mattingly is one of the most liked and respected men to ever appear in a Marlins uniform. The skipper just signed a new contract extension to remain in South Florida through the 2021 season.

There is no guarantee he will remain in the dugout until the end of his new deal. The front office has confidence in what Mattingly has done, working with a patchwork lineup, a young pitching staff, and a suspect bullpen. Hopefully, 2020 is the season it turns around in the right direction.

The Marlins front office decided to make the decision on Mattingly’s future prior to the end of the 2019 season where the team finished 57-105. The team record is seven games worse than in 2018 and with names like Joe Maddon – who has since been hired to manage the Los Angeles Angels, Dusty Baker, Joe Girardi and Mike Scioscia floating around as possible skippers in 2020, did Miami makes their move too soon.

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The staff here at Marlin Maniac weighs in on the topic of conversation with our own opinions about Miami’s skipper and the direction of the team moving forward.

Kevin Kraczkowski – I’m glad Mattingly got the extension. It would not have been fair or right to dismiss him based on the performance of what’s left of his team in South Florida. I think it’s fair to judge him in the future on whether he gets to 72 wins In 2020 and 85 wins in 2021.

Laura Georgia – Don Mattingly is well known as a player, and after his first gig as a manager in L.A., he’s become a name in the dugout in a different role. From ‘11-’15, his Dodgers won 55% of the time. So far with the Fish, there’s a 12 point drop to a 43% winning percentage.

The argument of whether or not he should’ve been re-signed as manager for another two years can be debated through numbers all day long, but there’s more to it than that. Let’s be honest, he’s a Yankee, like Jeter, and this helps thread the culture that starts in the front office onto the playing field. His presence adds much-needed stability, and all signs seem to indicate he actually wants to be here. Let’s give Donnie Baseball a chance and see what he can do with hard-working players and promising young talent in the works.

David Levin – As a baseball fan growing up in the 1980s, Don Mattingly was one of my favorite players. Sometimes, it’s hard to separate being a fan and a writer. I think you have to ask yourself if what the Marlins are doing with their rebuild will be slowed by changing managers at this time.

In this case, I think so. Mattingly deserves a chance to see this through.

When he arrived in 2016, the Marlins were on the doorstep of the playoffs before tragedy happened with the death of Jose Fernandez. It was the first domino to fall in the demise of this franchise. He deserves a chance to see his efforts turn to success.

If Mattingly cannot make adjustments and the roster does not show progress, then I think you will see a change in managers sooner rather than later.