Dodgers exercise 2014 options on Rick Honeycutt, Tim Wallach, Davey Lopes

LOS ANGELES -- After about 24 hours or so of volatility surrounding the Dodgers coaching staff, Tuesday afternoon brought a little more stability to the staff. The Dodgers announced they have exercised the 2014 options on pitching coach Rick Honeycutt, third base coach Tim Wallach and first base coach Davey Lopes.

Hitting coach Mark McGwire will also return, as he was already under contract for 2014. A Dodgers spokesperson said the club is also trying to retain assistant hitting coach John Valentin, assistant pitching coach Chuck Crim and bullpen coach Ken Howell. Those three did not have 2014 options in their contracts.

It appears the only casualty on the coaching staff was Trey Hillman, whose 2014 option was declined by the team.

The rift between manager Don Mattingly and the front office, laid out for all the world to see on Monday, appears to be smoothing, as retaining nearly all of his coaching staff is an attempt to keep most of the status quo.

Mattingly still likely wants a multi-year contract to return, but it appears the cost of that will be a new bench coach of the front office's choosing. But it's hard to see the return of seven of the eight members of the coaching staff - assuming deals can be worked out for Crim, Howell and Valentin - as anything but an effort to keep Mattingly around.