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MLB WINTER MEETINGS

December 10, 2018

Don Mattingly

Las Vegas, Nevada

Q. Let's start with the staff addition, a little bit about the hires and the possibilities?
DON MATTINGLY: Obviously, I mean, you guys know who the staff members are from Trey Hillman going to be doing infield. First base, a guy I've been associated with numerous times from when I was kind of starting out just working within the Yankee organization, and Trey was a Triple-A manager. We worked together. He was my bench coach in LA.

Just a tremendous baseball guy, friend and would be a great addition to our staff.

Mel Stottlemyre, Jr., another guy I didn't know, worked with his dad. Just going through the process of talking with him, was really comfortable with him. And that got basically into the interviews with the rest of the organization, and that kind of ended up him being the guy -- it got down to a couple different guys that we talked to. And I was comfortable either way.

So that's something that I'm going to be comfortable with. Jeff Livesey is another guy that kind of in the back worked for his dad when he was with the Yankees and has a solid background in the game of baseball. It's hard to talk how much you like your staff too much because some guys left that I had a lot of respect for. So that part's hard.

But really comfortable with the staff we've put together, and I think we're going to get solid baseball guys that are on both sides of understanding what you have to understand today, today's game from the numbers, analytics, be able to use that in your teaching, to also be in guys that have a lot of just experience within the game and teaching and have worked on a lot of different areas within the organization.

So really comfortable with that.

Q. I know there's a lot in flux, that's in change, but as you sit here today, who can you point to to say definitively on your box score will be in the position, in other words Castro at second. Beyond Castro at second, who can you say that's going to be the shortstop or first baseman or center field?
DON MATTINGLY: I think definitively it's hard to say anyone in particular is going to be at that spot, because we definitely are team building, towards the future, hopefully we're going to take steps forward this year. Obviously last year was a tough year.

We knew it was going to be a tough year, but we needed to take steps forward. You see what's going on in the division, what's happening with all the other teams.

And it's not going to get easier with the teams in our division. So it's hard to say anybody definitely in one spot. But I think our thought process is just continue, you gotta get better. And I think that's what Mike's talked about, it's what Derek has talked about.

We've got to improve as an organization, continue to build this thing, do it the right way, where it's going to be sustainable over a long period of time. And we're in that process right now.

Q. [Inaudible]?
DON MATTINGLY: A lot of thing we talk about is competition, what you want to build in the organization is talent all the way through, and our organization from the development side, as guys continue to improve, there's going to be competition for spots, and Brins is obviously a guy that had a tough year, has a lot of promise, and there's a lot to like in there about this kid, but I think you have to compete. You have to go out and prove yourself.

At some point, you know, prospects have to be able to go produce, and for us to win and take the next step forward, our guys are going to have to produce.

So I think Brins has a year under his belt. And these aren't things that we're talking about that he doesn't know about. We talked about when we left. He knows this year coming up is going to be a big year for him from the standpoint of he's got a year of experience under his belt, hopefully this winter is a time he gets to step away, take a good look at things, and come into Spring Training, and be here another year.

Q. Obviously with J.T. in Japan how do you think he's handling the speculation, and do you feel he's part of this organization's future as well?
A. Absolutely. I look at him as part of our club. I think everyone's been pretty up front with how we feel about J.T. publicly, privately, personally with him.

He knows how much we like him and what we think about him. He's handling everything fine. J.T.'s a tough kid. He's a big-time leader. It's why we love him. It's why a lot of teams love him.

They hear the news or the narrative about him. And it's all true. This is a tough kid that's not really bothered by anything. He just comes to play. And so I think he's doing fine with everything.

Q. How do you feel about watching other teams in the division beef up already for the season while you guys are still in a pattern where you're just trying to figure it out for the long term?
DON MATTINGLY: I think you're realistic in where the division is and where we're at right now and you see what's happening within the division. And I think you have to be realistic from that standpoint. But I also think you have to be enough of a believer in your guys getting better and anything can happen and you can win a game every day.

And so you can't just sit here and say, oh, this is going to be another year like last year. I think you have to look at it like we're in the next phase, and you have to have enough belief that anything can happen.

We talk about it a lot. You can win a game every day. Somehow, some way you can win a game. And I think the people that really analyze it and look at it are pretty good at kind of predicting what you are over 162.

But you can't think of it like that as an organization. You have to think of it as a team this year. We're going to try to win as many games as we possibly can.

And so I don't think much about the other clubs, I guess to answer your question, just really worry about us and what we're doing and where we're going and believing that this thing is going to be a sustainable model where once you get this thing loaded up like we talk about, that it's going to be every year and we're going to be able to compete with anybody because we're going to have the players to do it.

Q. New Hall of Famers up here this afternoon and a couple more last year from the Veterans Committee. Does that give you any encouragement from your own case guys you played with are getting a good strong look from the Veterans Committee, maybe they'll look at you that way too?
DON MATTINGLY: I don't look at myself too often in that. Just happy for Harold and Lee. I played with Lee just a brief time in New York and watched Harold over the years. He's a great hitter. And happy for those guys. I don't worry much about myself from the whole situation, because quite honestly, the Hall of Fame comes, if you get in, you say, okay, write HOF on the ball, and after that your life's going to be the same. You're not really changing. Who you are is who you are.

I look at myself honestly more as I want to be a good dad. I want to be a good teacher. I want to be a good coach. I want to be a good manager, whatever that is. That's not going to change because of you put HOF on a ball.

So honestly, once it's all said and done, you've played all your cards, you live your life and you really want to be happy with that.

Q. Do you think of yourself as a Hall of Famer? You had amazing seasons.
DON MATTINGLY: When I think of myself, when you see Harold, played 22 years or something like that and you end up with a pile of numbers that grow and grow, you know, I think Harold had 2800 hits. I hit 21-something, I do it in 13 years, 12 years, less than 13. I just didn't play long enough. Wasn't able to stay healthy long enough to really put that pile of numbers together. So there was a period of time that I could hit with anybody and do things on the field at my position and with the bat that nobody was doing.

Q. When you were in Japan, did you have any conversations with J.T. about his future with the organization, or was it kind of just baseball on the field?
DON MATTINGLY: It was playing baseball. Again, I think J.T. knows how we feel about him. J.T.'s been pretty up front the way he feels about things. So there was no reason to get into huge conversations about it. And so it was pretty much just enjoying the trip. It was a great time. It was one of those trips you're going you're having fun playing. It's a great experience for everyone. A lot of families, kids, things like that.

So it was really more of almost like an ambassador-type trip and just a lot of fun.

Q. Does J.T. remind you of anybody, you talk about his skills and his leadership ability and things like that?
DON MATTINGLY: You know, if you talk about him in terms of a lot of guys, he's a quiet guy. He's not real loud. He just plays -- he's really tough. He's a kid that just just you just trust him with any situation. He's probably more like Jeet than anybody I've seen, because he's quiet and he goes about his business. He keeps doing his job. Nothing seems to bother him with what's going on outside of -- he's not really worried about what anybody's saying; he's not worrying about the situation. He's just playing, and it's pretty easy for him to go do that.

Q. This is the last year of your contract, right? Have there been any discussions with Jeter or anybody else about extending you out?
DON MATTINGLY: No, no talks about anything moving forward. And I think my situation's not really important, to be quite honest with you, just more concerned about what we're doing. Again, building this thing. I'm kind of at a point, old enough where I'm not really worrying about what's happening next.

I like it here. I want to be a part of what we're doing and building it. But, again, I'm just kind of at a point where I'm pretty comfortable with myself, where I'm at.

Q. Not really worried about next year, you don't mind being a lame duck manager and what all went along with it with the Dodgers?
DON MATTINGLY: Went through it in LA. It was different there. It was a different time. Not really worried about it now in this situation. So I'm good. So I'm not really concerned one way or the other with it.

Q. Some guys are 20, 21, 22, played really good baseball at this level. Any idea it might be a reboot, that's good news young guys have been finding a way to play, but is there an unrealistic expectation how many guys can do it at that age?
DON MATTINGLY: I think the guys that are -- when you start talking about like going from the past to like a Griffey Jr. or guys that come up right away you see it in Acuna and Soto and see it in different ways. That's not that realistic. Doesn't happen that fast.

But it's also isn't something that takes five years. If a guy is going to be good, he's going to be pretty good fairly quick, and he's going to show signs right away that he's going to be able to handle it.

And I think guys are more prepared younger to be a part of it. But when you talk about prospects, it's a little dangerous because we love them from the standpoint you've got control, you've got six years, five years, but at some point you've got to be able to play.

If you get up and you can't play, that control doesn't do you any good because if they're not doing anything for you on the field, it's like doesn't matter that you have four years of control because the guy's not helping you win.

So at some point you've got to show you can play. And I think that's the danger with all the prospect talk is that, again, you want young guys. You love young guys. But they have got to be able to play. If they can't play, they can't play.

Q. It's possibly Bruce Bochy's last year in Major League Baseball, and do you have any thoughts about his impact on the game?
DON MATTINGLY: I don't know that this is his last year, but I have a lot of respect for Boch. And obviously managing against him out there in the West, he's one of those guys that you really never catch unprepared for any situation that's going on in the game. You think you're going to be able to slip in a pinch-hitter and get your matchup you want, and he's already ready for it.

So Boch is really just one of those guys you have so much respect for, what he's been able to accomplish in the game, how he's handled that success. But he's just a guy you respect from the other side. He's right along the lines with trying to manage against like Tony La Russa and those guys and he's ready for you. And anything you do, and you have to really have to prepare -- not that you don't always prepare. But if you're not prepared against those guys, they'll embarrass you.

And so he's just one of those guys you have a lot of respect for and knowing how good he is.

Q. How important might it be to get two veterans always in the game? The clubhouse guys are important, but when a team is trying find their way, what sort of emphasis will you put on that?
DON MATTINGLY: We'll continue talking about building our club, but I'll say this from the standpoint of having good veterans around, it's really important. If you get too many young guys together and it's all young, then they get cliquey, and it's like who is helping them grow and pass the game down.

Quiet moves that happened late in the year last year, we lost Cam Maybin and Ziegler, when you lose Cam you lose a leader. Even though he wasn't playing every day, he was a guy that really had an impact I think on your clubhouse. So it is nice to have those guys, veterans that are willing to share with the younger guys and that they respect because guys don't know that I played or half of our coaches ever played or was ever able to play this game.

If you have good veterans, they tend to -- they'll lean on those guys more than your word that you're trying to pass down. So it's nice to have good veterans on your club that can help teach the young guys basically how you prepare, how do you get ready, how do they deal with things, off the field, on the field, really important to have those guys.

Q. You had guys took a first step, starting pitching a lot of young options to look at in Spring Training competition. Can you talk about those guys, the younger ones, who are you looking forward to see and what you see from them in terms of the next step?
DON MATTINGLY: I think this year will be a really interesting year for us. Winter -- I shouldn't say offseason winter for us, offseasons are so important because that's really where the strides are made, because a lot of times that young guy is in the middle of a season and it's happening every day to him. The at-bats keep coming. They keep coming. And we can talk about what's going on with it or a pitcher that's dealing with stuff.

But once they finally get to the winter and they're all by themselves and they get a chance to actually process the season I think that's where the real growth can happen. Because now when they do their work and how they prepare during the offseason is really, really a chance to grow.

So I think this year we're going to see what happens to Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez, Trevor Richards, Caleb Smith, a lot of our guys. The same with players, the same with Brins and different guys that got experience last year.

So I think that's one area that we feel probably the most comfortable with is our depth in our young pitchers, because it's not even just the guys that we saw last year; there's a group coming right behind them that are going to be knocking the door down, too.

So there's going to be some serious competition for innings and being able to take us to the next level. So it's going to be an interesting year to see what happens with our young pitchers.

Q. You're looking for offense externally, but internally you've got Monte, Triple-A, Diaz, some of the kids that you saw at Spring Training last year, full year in the organization, what kind of report do you have on those types of guys and how close will they be?
DON MATTINGLY: Obviously, once you get on that roster and you've got to Double-A, it's like you're a phone call away.

And then it's kind of who is hot at the time. Other than like certain guys, I think development, it's so important that we allow them to develop, because they could have a hot three weeks and you need a guy and it's probably not the best thing for them.

So like a Monte, who is taking strides this year, a lot of strikeouts in Double-A, I've seen him in the fall league. He looked better. He's kind of reduced his leg kick where he can put the ball in play. But he's an exciting guy.

Isan is an exciting guy from the standpoint he's got a great swing. He's a guy that can hit the ball the other way. He's got opposite field power. You're talking about a second baseman, but also has really just got to Triple-A.

So guys need development and they need those at-bats to continue to see different styles of pitching, different things that happen at Triple-A that you don't see at Double-A.

Even though you see the ability in Triple-A, you need to see some things to happen there to be fully ready to play and give them the best chance of success when they get there.

Q. You sense still more not rushing, still being careful with those type of guys?
DON MATTINGLY: I think all our guys, I think it's one of the things when we're talking about building this thing, building it right and some of the things that may have happened in the past where guys get rushed to the Big Leagues because it's convenient. This is more of through Gary and through Dick Scott and development and what we're doing, it's build these guys -- I shouldn't say build them, but help develop them to be the best players they can possibly be in all areas and that they're developed when they get to the Big Leagues.

So when they get to the Big Leagues, like Gary said to me: You shouldn't be having to wonder if a guy can do this or that. You're going to know he can do this or that. And that's the areas that you don't want to shortchange that development at the expense of getting a guy there a little quicker and end up, to me, in a sense, burning clock when he doesn't need to be there, right?

And then by the time he's ready to go, he's at a different stage. So to me I think we want to develop these guys as much as we can at the minor league level.

Q. Speaking of young guys offseason, Victor Mesa, what have been your early impressions of him so far?
DON MATTINGLY: To me I didn't get to the workout. But I was watching video on him. And really you see a solid swing and just listening to the guys. A guy they feel pretty strongly about. Obviously the way they went after him in the -- through that process and the commitment that the organization made, feel strongly about him and his brother.

So I think you start getting back into the prospect thing. So you see the talent. You see what it's capable of and now they'll be trying to do it on the field and bring it to the Big League level.

Q. [Inaudible]?
DON MATTINGLY: I see it more now not as a closer but kind of what we've been doing at the end of the year with Adam and Steck, we were able to match it up the way we wanted. We don't want to be walking into three out of four lefties and say Steck is our closer no matter what and then we're not in the right situation. The same goes for the eighth or the seventh.

So I think we'd like to be able to match up the best we can. I think the game's changed -- unless you have that guy, I think we're probably going to be better off being able to match up late in the game.

Q. Brian Anderson, thoughts of third base, outfield?
DON MATTINGLY: Yeah, I think he showed he can do either one. Offensively the guy still is going to be a player and he's going to get better and better. And I think he showed he can do either one. I think it depends which way we go and what's happening with us.

So, again, as we continue to build and continue to grow what we're doing, I think that takes us whatever road that is. The good news is we know he can do both.

Q. How much would it change shifts?
DON MATTINGLY: I mean, it would just change the way you defend, I guess. So to me I don't worry about the shifts so much as really trying to find guys that can use the whole field. If a guy can use the whole field they're not going to shift you.

When you start finding guys that can really hit, can put the ball in play, can do a lot of things for our ballpark, we're more of we should be a doubles-, triples-type ballpark. So you want to build your club around guys that can use gaps and use the whole field, get more production out of those guys.

Q. Generally, in the year-to-year volatility that comes along with it, why do you think that comes and what challenges does that present in trying to build a bullpen?
DON MATTINGLY: I think it happens because a guy that's good, you use. You're trying to win, and if you're in that situation, this guy's been really good all year long, you end up using him more. And over time that just -- that wear and tear, I think, you never know what's going to happen the next season.

And so I think the challenge is you're kind of -- you're always trying to predict, and that's what a lot of the -- I think the analytics now are obviously trying to be predictive of what this guy's going to be moving forward, during the season with his arm dropping or is there velocity drop or what's happening with him through the numbers. So that kind of hopefully is predictive of a guy going strong. If everything's dropping but he's still having success, obviously there's some red flags in there.

But on the good side of that is that bullpens are easier to build in a year-to-year basis. LA seems like they rebuild the bullpen every year. Maybe a couple of stalwarts in there, you're always finding pieces that you don't know the names or you haven't seen the names or maybe they've been out for a year or they were a starter year ago and failed at that, all of a sudden they're in the bullpen rolling along.

So bullpens, you're able to kind of put a good one together, kind of out quickly.

Q. It's never going to be perfect until you have 40 guys up there. On a year when you did your exit interviews, you talked to the staff in the front office, how did you think the way the guys attacked it, went after it, especially if you're not winning as much, was there a pretty good feeling in the room that guys handled themselves the way that you want, any red flags at all in any of that, those conversations?
DON MATTINGLY: Well, I think there's always some kind of red flags, but I think in general our guys were good. I felt we were pretty happy with the way they competed last year. No matter what you say, if you're in a build or whatever you're doing in the first year of a rebuild or build or whatever you want to call it, losing's hard. It's hard on guys. But I thought our guys competed. That's one of the things we were able to talk about with them.

But pretty realistic conversations of what we thought they needed to improve on. Our process was them actually filling out the form too what they needed to work on. You get a pretty good view if they're good self-evaluators or whatnot. We were able to basically be honest, up front about what we expected over the winter, what we felt like they needed to improve on coming into Spring Training. And it becomes up to them to do that work.

We'll see as we go. Obviously we'll have follow-up during the offseason as we get closer to Spring Training. But it's really up to guys to improve and that offseason is theirs.

Q. You've talked a fair amount about player development. Watching a guy like Nate Eovaldi this postseason, who you saw at early stage of his career, what stood out to you and how different was he from the one you saw coming up in LA?
DON MATTINGLY: You know what's funny, he was the same. I mean not the same, probably, obviously, with more experience under his belt, but the stuff after two Tommy Johns, the way the ball was coming out, his stuff was incredible.

I think the one thing that always stood out about Nate was just this work ethic of just this guy worked and worked and worked and he was one of those guys that you were, like, if you're going to bet on anybody, it's betting on him.

Those guys don't come along that often that have that type of work ethic, and they're just fierce in their work. So what stood out is really that he maintained the same stuff after two Tommy Johns, and it was really good to see him have that kind of success. And you love seeing guys, good things happen for guys that work like he did.

Q. What did you learn that you carried forward as you've gotten more experience and gotten older from your whole Dodgers experience where you had the one year with the option, then you decided not to come back? What do you remember?
DON MATTINGLY: No, I remember nothing negative. Really, Andrew, Farhan, those guys, I thought were great. It was just the point when -- I was ready -- we were ready to go, it was more of a family decision. I had a little one that we were just out, getting out of touch between Indiana and LA. It was a long way for us, time zones and everything was tough.

So you just kind of grow in your confidence in what you do. And I think you're just different. We all continue to grow, right? And hopefully every year we do something you get better at it, you get more comfortable. Just kind of keep moving on.

Q. Ned and Stan extended your contract originally, correct, before Farhan came in?
DON MATTINGLY: I don't even know. I'm not sure. I know I was there a couple years with Mr. McCourt and then Mark and the new group came in.

Q. Ned was general manager one year and all that?
DON MATTINGLY: Ned was great, too. I had no troubles. I think you have -- in relationships, one of the things you learn in that, it's not really personal. It's usually business. Anything. You've got to keep moving. And they've got to do what they think is best for them and I have to do what I think is best for me.

It's when you all get on the same page and everybody's kind of, I don't know, I shouldn't say comfortable, but working in the same direction, it's a good feeling to be part of that.

Q. Jeff and Trey are two new additions have a lot of international addition, new coaching staff, have a lot of new international experience, for a team that has a lot of international players, how important do you think it's important in the development process and how helpful will it be?
DON MATTINGLY: I think the more well rounded we are and I think the main thing within the organization and the change since Mr. Sherman and Derek has taken over is continuity from top to bottom. And we're all working together. It's not like development's over here and it's the Big Leagues. It's like we have this thing that's like we want -- we're just looking to win.

And that goes -- we know we've got to work from the top all the way down to the bottom. And when you have that leadership, I think directing and kind of ruttering the ship to where we want it to go, it makes it easier.

The more well-rounded your coaches are, with young players, with international players, older players, whatever it is, you just want to be well-rounded in your communication with guys and get the most out of them.

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