Philadelphia Phillies keeping Don Mattingly as manager on 2-year deal
MLB notes
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PHILADELPHIA -- The Philadelphia Phillies are keeping Don Mattingly as manager, removing his interim tag and giving him a two-year deal even after a late-season collapse nearly cost the team a playoff spot.
Team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced the move Wednesday. Mattingly led the team to a 79-55 record and a spot in the postseason after he replaced the fired Rob Thomson in late April. The Phillies nearly blew a four-game lead for a wild card in the final week of the regular season, then lost in three games to the Atlanta Braves in the NL Wild Card Series.
The Phillies were 9-19 when they fired Thomson in April after he led the Phillies to four straight playoff appearances, including the 2022 World Series, and consecutive NL East titles.
Dombrowski and the Phillies were rebuffed twice by former Red Sox manager Alex Cora. Dombrowski was spurned by Cora when he made the move to fire Thomson and again after the season ended, leaving him in both cases with Mattingly.
The 65-year-old Mattingly was hired last offseason to serve as a bench coach and had another year left on his contract. With an MLB work stoppage on the table in December, leaving at least parts of next season in doubt, Mattingly is the safe and familiar choice to oversee a roster that includes Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and one of the top rotations in baseball.
Espada out in Houston
HOUSTON -- The Houston Astros parted ways with manager Joe Espada after deciding not to renew his expiring contract.
The team announced the decision Wednesday while also moving on from several members of his coaching staff. His contract is set to expire at the end of this month.
"We are thankful for Joe's hard work, his passion for the game, and for his commitment to the Houston Astros," team owner Jim Crane said in a statement.