Jeter: Mattingly expected to stay as Marlins manager
Derek Jeter signaled Thursday that Don Mattingly is expected to return next year as manager of the Miami Marlins, providing some dugout continuity for a last-place team in transition.
Mattingly has one season to go on a four-year contract he signed when he joined the Marlins for the 2016 season.
“Is he going to be back in 2019?” Jeter said. “He’s under contract. Yeah.”
The Marlins will finish last in the NL East in Jeter’s first year as CEO. They began their final home series of the season Thursday with a loss to the Reds, giving them a record of 59- 93. Mattingly has a three-year record of 215-260 (.453).
Mattingly has said he likes the challenge of developing the Marlins’ many young players. He also has embraced Jeter’s approach to rebuilding a franchise that hasn’t had a winning season since 2009, the longest streak in the majors, and hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2003.
“The one thing you can count on with Derek is that what he says, he’s going to do,” Mattingly said. “He talked about building the minor league system, building this thing the right way. I don’t think there’s one thing he talked about publicly that he hasn’t backed up with his actions. You trust what he says and what he’s going to do.”
This year’s poor record was expected after the Marlins traded half their starting lineup for prospects last offseason to reduce payroll and fortify a weak farm system.
The Marlins will finish last in the majors in attendance, and last in the NL for the 13th time in 14 years. Their crowds have averaged fewer than 10,000, the worst figure in the majors since the Montreal Expos’ final season in 2004.
RANGERS CONTEMPLATING CHANGE
» The rebuilding plan the Texas Rangers are undertaking has reached the manager’s office.
Multiple sources confirmed that the Rangers are contemplating replacing Jeff Banister after the season even though he is under contract for 2019, the Fort Worth StarTelegramis reporting. The Rangers exercised the option they held on him for next season shortly after the 2017 season ended.
Those same sources also said that no final decision about changing managers has been made.
The Rangers’ second consecutive losing season, one put in place by the front office and ownership, is not necessarily why Banister’s future is in doubt. Instead, officials have started to wonder if he is right for the long-range plan.
Banister and GM Jon Daniels declined the chance to comment.
The Rangers entered their off day Thursday with a 64-88 record and a 31-game deficit behind firstplace Houston in the ALWest. The Rangers, who were officially eliminated from the postseason earlier this month, are riding a four-game losing streak after being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays to open their final homestand of the season.
Daniels said the Rangers were in a “development” mode in June after it was announced that he had signed a multi-year contract extension.
YANKEES SET HOME RUN RECORDS»
Luke Voit and the New York Yankees set two home run records with one swing of the bat.
The brawny first baseman hit a two-run shot to straightaway center field in the second inning against Boston, giving the Yankees a major league-record 12 players with at least 10 home runs this season.
Voit’s homer also was the 246th for New York this year, breaking the franchise mark set in 2012. Entering the game, the Yankees were on pace for 263 home runs — one short of the big league record established by the 1997 Seattle Mariners.
Voit joins Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Didi Gregorius, Miguel Andujar, AaronHicks, Gleyber Torres, Gary Sanchez, Brett Gardner, Greg Bird, Neil Walker and Austin Romine as players with double- digit homers for the Yankees this year. AROUND THE MAJORS » Pirates starting pitcher Chad Kuhl underwent reconstructive surgery on his right elbow and willmiss the entire 2019 season. ... Tennis great Billie Jean King and partner Ilana Kloss joined the Los Angeles Dodgers ownership group. ... Indians RHP Trevor Bauer (12- 6) will make his first start since Aug. 11 when he was struck with a line drive and broke his right leg. He’s expected to pitch two innings against Boston.