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Remember on Monday when Don Mattingly said that even though his 2014 option vested it didn't mean he'd be back to manage the Dodgers? Well, he'll be back, at least in 2014, through reports from Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN LA.
Mattingly's agent, Ray Schulte, spoke to both reporters on Wednesday, and said Mattingly intends to honor his contract and return in 2014. Per Shelburne:
"Donnie feels like he was able to say his piece, he did it for the betterment of the organization and now it's out there. Hopefully we can make this a positive and move forward," Schulte said. "Right now he's at home, he's waiting to hear from Stan and to talk about the future.
"There's no unrest, there's no bitterness or unhappiness. He's a big boy and he's going to deal with it and do what's best for the organization."
Stan in this case is Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten, who spoke with Hernandez and confirmed Mattingly wouldn't be fired for his Monday comments, which truthfully would have been even more surprising than the words.
From Hernandez:
Even after Schulte said Mattingly would return, the possibility existed that Mattingly could be fired.
Nonsense, Kasten said.
"I’ve always been a big supporter of his," Kasten said.
Schulte said Mattingly is still looking for a multiyear deal. While Kasten declined to address that prospect directly, he said, "I’m anticipating a happy ending."
"Never a question in my mind that Don would ever renege on his contract," Kasten told Plunkett.
Jon Heyman at CBS Sports added that both Mattingly and the front office are "working out the final details" of Mattingly's contract, and that whether he is extended beyond 2014 is still in question.
With the World Series going on, don't expect any official news to be announced anytime soon. What we know is that Mattingly will be back for 2014. Whether he gets his desired multi-year deal, well that could take at least a week or so. If not longer.