Mattingly introduced
Don Mattingly was introduced as the Miami Marlins manager, the team’s seventh since June 2010. Mattingly was hired last week, but Monday’s news conference was delayed until after the World Series. He parted last month with the Los Angeles Dodgers. With the change in jobs, Mattingly will face a big adjustment regarding resources. The Dodgers led the majors by far this year with a payroll of $289.6 million at the end of the regular season. Miami ranked last at $64.9 million, and the Marlins plan only a small increase in 2016. Mattingly becomes owner Jeffrey Loria’s first high-profile managerial hire since Ozzie Guillen four years ago. Guillen was fired after one troubled season, and his four-year contract just came off the books.
The St. Louis Cardinals have exercised their $11.5 million option on left-hander Jaime Garcia and declined their $9 million mutual option on right-handed reliever Jonathan Broxton, who gets a $2 million buyout. St. Louis also said Monday that infielder Pete Kozma and catchers Ed Easley and Travis Tartamella have been assigned outright to Class AAA Memphis. Garcia, 29, was 10-6 with a 2.43 ERA in 20 starts following thoracic outlet surgery, including 7-2 from Aug. 8 on before losing to the Chicago Cubs in the National League division series. He is 52-32 with a 3.31 ERA in 126 regular-season games. Broxton, 31, was 3-3 with a 2.66 ERA in 26 games after he was acquired from Milwaukee at the trade deadline. He becomes eligible for free agency. Kozma, 27, a former first-round draft pick, played in 76 games last season. Easley, 29 and Tartamella, 27, both made their major league debuts this season.
The Cincinnati Reds have declined contract options on infielder Skip Schumaker and reliever Burke Badenhop, making them free agents. Schumaker received a $500,000 buyout. He led major-league pinch-hitters with 19 hits last season and had a team option for $2.5 million in 2016. Badenhop led the team with 68 appearances and went 2-4 with a 3.93 ERA. The Reds paid $1.5 million to buy out his 2016 option, which included a $4 million salary. Left-handed pitchers Sean Marshall and Manny Parra and catcher Brayan Pena also became free agents Monday. The Reds reinstated pitcher Homer Bailey, catcher Devin Mesoraco, shortstop Zack Cozart and righthander Jon Moscot from the 60day disabled list. Bailey (elbow), Mesoraco (hip), Cozart (knee) and Moscot (shoulder) had surgery. Reliever Sam LeCure was outrighted to Triple-A Louisville.
Milwaukee Brewers Manager Craig Counsell has started filling out his coaching staff with the additions of former Padres interim manager Pat Murphy as bench coach and Derek Johnson as pitching coach. Murphy reunites with Counsell after managing him at Notre Dame, where Counsell played his college ball. Murphy spent the previous six seasons in the Padres organization. Johnson joins the Brewers from the National League Central rival Chicago Cubs, where he served as the pitching coordinator the past three seasons. Johnson’s career also includes an 11-year stint as pitching coach at Vanderbilt, where he mentored current major leaguers David Price and Sonny Gray. Milwaukee also announced Monday that bullpen coach Lee Tunnell would return, joining third base coach Ed Sedar and hitting coach Darnell Coles as holdovers from the 2015 staff.
Alan Cockrell has been promoted to hitting coach of the New York Yankees to replace Jeff Pentland, who was let go after one season. Cockrell was an assistant hitting coach last season, when Pentland replaced Kevin Long. New York said Monday that Marcus Thames will take over from Cockrell as assistant hitting coach. Cockrell was the ninth overall pick in the 1984 amateur draft and did not make it to the major leagues until 1996, when he played nine games for Colorado and went 2 for 8 at the plate in his only major-league appearances. Thames hit .246 in 10 major-league seasons, spending time the Yankees in 2002 and 2010. He has been a hitting coach in New York’s minor league season for three years, assigned to Class A Tampa in 2013, Class AA Trenton in 2014 and Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year.
Charlie Nagy has been named the Los Angeles Angels’ new pitching coach. Angels General Manager Billy Eppler announced the hire Monday night. Nagy was the Arizona Diamondbacks’ pitching coach from 2011-13. He spent last season as a special assistant in player development with the Cleveland Indians. Nagy also was the pitching coach for the Angels’ Class AAA affiliate in Salt Lake from 2006-2007. Nagy was a three-time All-Star during a 14year major-league pitching career. He spent 13 seasons with the Indians, pitching in two World Series. Nagy agreed to a two-year contract with the Angels, who parted ways with Mike Butcher shortly after the season ended. Butcher had been Angels Manager Mike Scioscia’s pitching coach for the previous nine seasons. Butcher was hired to be Arizona’s pitching coach last week.