The MLB has a wave of new managers coming in with Dusty Baker, Don Mattingly, Scott Servais and Andy Green getting hired and another name will join the list soon when the Dodgers make a decision. Baker comes in for the Nationals after Bud Black initially looked like he would get the job, while Mattingly takes over the Marlins, Servais takes over the Mariners and Green heads to San Diego for the Padres.
Here is a quick look at the managers and some rankings of the best new hires. For this list, the ranking is about the manager and not necessarily the team. For example, whoever takes over the Dodgers probably has the best "team situation" overall along with the Nationals, but they may not be the "best" individual manager hire of the group.
For the quick list:
1. Dusty Baker
2. Don Mattingly
3. Andy Green
4. Scott Servais
Dusty Baker, Nationals
The Nationals reportedly were set to hire Bud Black, but that deal fell through and now it's Baker who will be taking over in Washington. Matt Williams was fired after a disappointing season that saw the team miss the playoffs and now Baker will be in charge of turning things around. Bryce Harper is coming back after what should be an MVP season and the team has strong starting pitching led by Max Scherzer.
Baker has a strong track record of success and a ton of experience in his career and that is why he is listed as number one among the new hires. Baker has spent 20 years in the league as a manager and he has experience as a player and that could help him gain some respect from the Nationals clubhouse as well. Baker has 1,671 wins in his career and he has brought the Giants, Reds and Cubs to the playoffs in his runs with those teams. Baker has experience and has playoff success and that gives the Nats some hope for turning it around next season.
Don Mattingly, Marlins
The Marlins have some talented players, but the team is in a rebuild and now they have Mattingly to guide the ship. His experience makes him one of the best manager hires this offseason, as he helped the Dodgers win three straight division titles, which the team had never done before. Mattingly was let go after a new front office took over and gave him a chance to manage and now he is with the Marlins after signing a lucrative deal. Mattingly is not considered the best game manager, but he handled a tough (at times) clubhouse in LA with many different personalities and that should suit him well in Miami. Mattingly finished with a winning record over five seasons in LA and now he will have to translate that to Miami.
Andy Green, Padres
Green comes over to the Padres after being the third-base coach of the Arizona Diamondbacks and he takes over a team that did not play up to expectations this season. The Padres made a number of offseason moves that made it look like they would be a playoff contender, but they ended up winning just 74 games. Green has some experience managing and that is why he comes in ahead of Servais, who has only limited experience. Green previously spent four seasons as a manager in Arizona's farm system and he had spent 12 seasons overall with the team. Green won a championship in 2012 in the Pioneer League and he also was named manager of the year in the Southern League in both 2013 and 2014.
Scott Servais, Mariners
The Mariners have a new GM in Jerry Dipoto and he brought in a close friend in Servais, who was an assistant general manager with the Angels when Dipoto was there. Dipoto left the Angels after losing some battles with manager Mike Scioscia on the direction of the team and now he has a manager that likely will agree and work with the moves he has made. Servais has managed some games in the minors and he comes in after being the Angels' assistant GM for four seasons. Servais also has extensive experience as a front office guy, as he was the senior director of player development from 2006 to 2011 for the Texas Rangers. Servais also brings experience from 11 years as a professional player, playing for four different teams.
Dodgers, TBA
The Dodgers have been taking a deliberate approach since parting ways with Mattingly and there are a group of names that have come in for interviews. The team reportedly is narrowing things down and Joel Sherman at the NY Post reports that San Diego Padres bench coach Dave Roberts and Los Angeles player development director Gabe Kapler are the favorites. Dave Martinez has also been mentioned along with Darin Erstad.
Check here for more on the managers and more on the Dodgers search.
