Making Sense of Don Mattingly's Dodgers Future in Andrew Friedman Reign

After early departures from the postseason in back-to-back years, the Los Angeles Dodgers were ready to shake things up.

In previous years, that might have involved signing a big-name free agent or executing a blockbuster deal, perhaps even a managerial change.

Those things could still happen, but if they do, it won't be Ned Colletti calling the shots.

The Dodgers shocked the baseball world Tuesday by hiring Tampa Bay Rays general manager Andrew Friedman to be their president of baseball operations, as reported by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. Colletti, the Dodgers' general manager since 2005, will remain with the organization as a senior adviser to president Stan Kasten.

With the Dodgers headed in a new direction under Friedman, he will have to make an important decision regarding manager Don Mattingly's future with the organization.

In the wake of the Dodgers' second consecutive collapse against St. Louis in the postseason, Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times noted that the team’s ownership was "disappointed with how Colletti constructed a roster that, despite costing a record $240 million, lacked the pieces to compete with the versatile Cardinals."

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Plaschke also posited that the Dodgers front office is likely to show more patience with Mattingly than their now ex-general manager:

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A common perception was that Manager Don Mattingly's job also would be in danger after he made several questionable strategical decisions against the Cardinals, but ownership liked how he had handled a combustible clubhouse and will give him at least another season to smooth out his rough managerial edges.

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Richard Justice of MLB.com offered a similar take on Mattingly's future prior to the Friedman hire, arguing that the still relatively new manager wasn't to blame for the Dodgers' postseason struggles, and that the team simply won't find a better replacement, at least not this year:

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In his four seasons, he has proven himself again and again. First, his personality -- that is, his honesty and essential decency -- play well over a ninth-month season. His teams play consistently hard, and Mattingly has put his players in position to win. Perhaps his biggest accomplishment is taking a clubhouse with big salaries and big personalities and worked hard to get it to function as a cohesive unit.

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Mattingly could very well be the right man to, one day, manage a team to a World Series. However, the Dodgers' decision to hire Friedman means that he'll now be forced to adapt to his new GM's approach to constructing a winning team—and he'll have to do so quickly.

During his tenure with the Rays, Friedman became famous for his ability to put together playoff-caliber teams in spite of working with one of the lowest payrolls in Major League Baseball. Now he'll be part of an organization on the opposite end of the financial spectrum, one that began the season with a record payroll north of $241 million. But don't expect Friedman to throw money around out of necessity as Colletti did all too often.

Steven Senne/Associated Press

One of the reasons the Dodgers hired Friedman is to save money, as they hope to lower their 2015 payroll to $185-190 million, per Plaschke, and avoid a potential 50 percent luxury tax. That's not to say the Dodgers won't sign any pricey free agents, domestic or abroad, in future seasons; it's just the ones that are signed will presumably be more cost-effective and fit the franchise's agenda.

As for Mattingly, now one of the few remaining parts from the Dodgers' old regime, it's hard not to question his job security moving forward.

Friedman's success with the Rays was at least somewhat tied to his relationship with manager Joe Maddon, as Maddon served as a perfect extension of the team's front office with his progressive, and often experimental, approach to clubhouse management and lineup construction. In nine seasons together, Friedman and Maddon guided the Rays to four playoff appearances and one trip to the World Series (2008).

Basically, Maddon knew exactly what the Rays front office was going for, and he therefore crafted his managerial styling to best facilitate long-term success.

Asking Mattingly to suddenly become Joe Maddon won't happen, obviously. And based on some of the managerial decisions Mattingly made this season—like not starting Yasiel Puig, easily the team's most dynamic player, in a postseason elimination game due to a three-game slump—getting him on board with the Dodgers' new philosophies could in and of itself be an uphill battle.

Naturally, Friedman's hiring sparked widespread speculation that the Dodgers might poach Maddon from Tampa Bay to replace Mattingly. However, the Rays skipper made it clear that won't be happening any time soon.

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

"I want to continue to be a Ray, absolutely," Maddon said, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. "They have to want me to be a Ray too."

With one year remaining on Maddon's current contract, it's impossible to rule out the possibility of him joining Friedman on the West Coast in 2016. For now, however, Friedman plans to retain Mattingly for the 2015 season, per Shaikin.

But just because the Dodgers front office is giving Mattingly the benefit of the doubt for next season doesn't mean he'll be kept on board longer than necessary. A lot will surely change during the offseason, but the Dodgers should once again be a playoff contender in 2015, with a top-tier starting rotation and plenty of offensive firepower.

Therefore, even if Friedman and the Dodgers have their sights set on making a run at Maddon in 2016, that shouldn't make them any more inclined to stand pat with Mattingly next year and potentially concede the season.