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  • Associated Press

Nov 8, 2024, 03:29 PM ET

PHILADELPHIA — Preston Mattingly, a son of former star first baseman and manager Don Mattingly, was promoted to general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday under president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.

Sam Fuld, the GM since December 2020, will share the GM duties with Mattingly. But Fuld is studying for his Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and will become the team’s president of business operations when he receives his degree in May 2026.

“Sam and Preston are two of the best young people in the game,” Dombrowski said. “They’re outstanding in every respect. We have a good relationship between all of us and really, you kind of look towards the future and say, ‘Well, how will this all work out?'”

Dombrowski, 68, is under contract with the Phillies through 2027, which means he will get to have Mattingly learn the trade under his tutelage for three seasons, and then if Dombrowski decides to retire, the Phillies would have his heir apparent already in place.

“I think he has the ability to be the general manager and the head of baseball operations for years to come,” Dombrowski said.

Mattingly, 37, played in the minor leagues from 2006-11, and then went to Lamar University, where he captained the basketball team and received a bachelor’s degree in 2016. He worked for the San Diego Padres from 2017-21, rising to coordinator of major league advance scouting and game planning.

He joined the Phillies as director of player development in September 2021 and was promoted to assistant general manager of player development last November.

“I’m very excited about the role,” Mattingly said. “Honestly, I just love baseball. It means so much to me. It’s been my life since I was born. … I was very excited to get to work with the people we have in the organization. They challenge you every single day and we all share the same vision of helping the Philadelphia Phillies achieve their ultimate goal, which is to win the World Series.”

Fuld will oversee business operations departments after his graduation. The current president of business operations, Dave Buck, is retiring in December. Fuld said that several people — including himself — will take on the responsibilities of the role for the 18 months until his graduation.

“I’ve always been interested in the business side of baseball,” Fuld said. “It’s always been compelling to me. This came out of a conversation I had with Dave and [managing partner John Middleton] in the spring and we talked about the short term, the midterm and the long term implications of this opportunity. It wasn’t something I had given a ton of thought to at the time, but after I digested it and wrapped my head around it, it felt like a really compelling opportunity both professionally and personally.”

The Phillies also announced two other promotions in the baseball operations department. Luke Murton was promoted to director of player development and Edwar Gonzalez to director of hitting development.

Don Mattingly was a six-time All-Star for the New York Yankees from 1982-95, then managed the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2011-15 and the Miami Marlins from 2016-22.

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Braves starting catcher Murphy out 4-6 weeks

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2 hours ago

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March 4, 2025

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Braves starting catcher Murphy out 4-6 weeks

  • ESPN News Services

Mar 3, 2025, 11:36 AM ET

Atlanta Braves starting catcher Sean Murphy will miss the start of the season with a rib injury.

The one-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks with a cracked rib on his left side, the team said Monday.

Top prospect Drake Baldwin is a candidate to replace Murphy behind the plate for Opening Day at San Diego on March 27.

Murphy, 30, struggled last season after an abdominal strain on Opening Day and batted .193 with 10 homers and 25 RBIs in 72 games with the Braves in 2024. He is a career .233 hitter with 77 homers and 240 RBIs in 510 games with the then-Oakland Athletics (2019-22) and the Braves.

The Braves declined Travis d’Arnaud‘s $8 million option during the offseason, clearing the path for Murphy to be the No. 1 catcher. D’Arnaud signed with the Los Angeles Angels.

Chadwick Tromp is the only other catcher on the Atlanta 40-man roster. He hit .250 in 19 games in 2024.

Murphy made the National League All-Star team in 2023 and collected a Gold Glove at catcher with the Athletics in 2021.

Field Level Media and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Moustakas will sign 1-day deal, retire as Royal

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2 hours ago

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March 4, 2025

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Moustakas will sign 1-day deal, retire as Royal

  • Associated Press

Mar 3, 2025, 09:46 PM ET

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Mike Moustakas will retire with Kansas City after spending 13 years in the majors and winning the World Series with the Royals in 2015.

The Royals announced Moustakas’ retirement Monday. The 36-year-old infielder will sign a one-day contract with his first big league team on May 31, and he will be honored before Kansas City’s home game against Detroit that day.

Moustakas hit .247 with 215 homers and 683 RBIs in 1,427 games, also playing for Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Colorado and the Los Angeles Angels. The three-time All-Star appeared in his last major league game with the Angels on Sept. 30, 2023.

Moustakas was the No. 2 pick in the 2007 amateur draft. He broke into the majors with Kansas City in 2011.

He became a key performer for the Royals during a memorable stretch for the franchise. He hit .284 with 22 homers and 82 RBIs in 147 games in 2015, helping the team win the AL Central. Then he drove in eight runs in the postseason as the Royals won the World Series for the first time since 1985.

Moustakas bashed a career-high 38 homers for Kansas City in 2017. He set a career best with 95 RBIs while playing for the Royals and Brewers in 2018.

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Astros planning to play Altuve mostly in left field

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2 hours ago

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March 4, 2025

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Astros planning to play Altuve mostly in left field

  • Associated Press

Mar 3, 2025, 05:43 PM ET

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Houston Astros are planning to play Jose Altuve mostly in left field this season, manager Joe Espada told the Houston Chronicle on Monday.

A nine-time All-Star, three-time batting champion and the 2017 AL MVP, Altuve has played all but two of his 1,767 major league games at second base. He won the Gold Glove in 2015, and in 2020, he led the American League with the fewest errors, with four.

“Right now the plan is for him to play the majority of his games in left field,” Espada said, adding that moving Altuve “back and forth is something that I am going to avoid.”

The idea of moving Altuve to left was first broached when the team was looking to keep third baseman Alex Bregman, who wound up signing with the Boston Red Sox. If Bregman had returned to Houston, it might have forced newly acquired Isaac Paredes to shift to second base and Altuve to the outfield.

“Whatever I have to do for [Bregman] to stay, I’m willing to do it,” Altuve said at the team’s FanFest in January.

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