Marlins' Don Mattingly Exercising Mutual Contract Option to Return in 2022

The Miami Marlins and Don Mattingly are each exercising the manager's mutual contract option for the 2022 season, general manager Kim Ng told reporters on Thursday. 

"We've exercised our portion [of the contract], and Donnie has said that he wants to be back for 2022," she said. "So we're pretty excited about that one."

The 60-year-old Mattingly is in his sixth season as the team's manager, going 345-446 in that time. He led the young Marlins to a 31-29 record last season and a playoff berth, where they were swept in three games by the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS. 

The team's breakthrough year earned Mattingly the Manager of the Year award. It was Miami's only winning season under the manager's tutelage, though the team has been in a state of perpetual rebuilding for much of its existence, outside of World Series titles in 1997 and 2003. 

"Donnie has been steady at the helm, and I think that's one of his greatest attributes," Ng told reporters. "He's incredibly patient. I think he's got a great way with the young players. He's very positive with them."

Miami hasn't matched last year's surprising level of play in 2021, going 38-47 (last in the crowded NL East), though injuries to players like Starling Marte, Sixto Sanchez and Brian Anderson haven't helped. 

And young starting pitchers like Sanchez, Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez and rookies Trevor Rogers and Zach Thompson and have developed nicely under Mattingly, giving the Marlins one of the best and most promising rotations in baseball.