In what was be described as a decision best for both parties, the Los Angeles Dodgers announced Don Mattingly will not return as manager for the 2016 season.
On a related note, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said during a press conference on Thursday the contracts of the coaches on staff expired, and they are free to seek employment elsewhere.
Friedman did not rule out any coaches being retained, though said such a decision wouldn’t come until after a new manager was in place.
Prior to Friedman formally announcing such news, Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reported Dodgers bench coach Tim Wallach interviewed for the vacant Washington Nationals manager position:
Tim Wallach has interviewed with Nats for mgr gig.
— Tim Brown (@TBrownYahoo) October 22, 2015
Wallach was the Dodgers’ hitting coach in 2004 and 2005, then re-joined the team under Mattingly in 2011 as the team’s third base coach. Wallach was then promoted to bench coach in 2014, a position he held again this season. In 2009 and 2010 Wallach managed Triple-A Albuquerque.
Wallach previously interviewed with for managerial vacancies with the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners after the 2013 season. The openings were filled by Brad Ausmus and Lloyd McClendon, respectively.
Although Wallach has been part of the coaching staff, he played the role of informal general manager after crossing paths with Justin Turner at a California State University, Fullerton alumni event. Wallach put Turner in touch with then-Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti, and it’s been a perfect match since.
Coming off a disappointing season in which they finished 83-79 and seven games back of the New York Mets in the National League East despite being a heavy World Series favorite heading into 2015, the Nationals fired manager Matt Williams one day after their season concluded.
Williams was named NL Manager of the Year in 2014 and went 179-145 over two seasons with the Nationals. While Dodgers rumors typically are centered around player transactions, the coaching carousel figures to be part of the hot stove this offseason.
