Torre agrees to manage Dodgers
New York, NY (Sports Network) - Just hours after Grady Little resigned as manager, Joe Torre has reportedly agreed in principle to manage the Los Angeles Dodgers.
According to the New York Post, citing unspecified sources, Torre has agreed to a three-year, $14.5 million deal and could be introduced as early as Thursday.
Earlier on Tuesday, during the conference call to announce the resignation of Little, Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti denied that the team had reached any type of deal with any other manager.
The Post reported that Don Mattingly and Larry Bowa, both coaches for Torre with the Yankees, will join the Dodgers' staff as well.
The Dodgers were 82-80 this season under Little and finished fourth in the NL West. Little, who called 2007 the toughest year of his career because of bickering between the team's veteran and young players, resigned despite having one more year and a club option year left on his contract. He called the decision to step down a mutual one between himself and the club.
Torre balked at a one-year incentive-laden offer to remain as manager of the Yankees after 12 seasons in the Bronx. The club offered him a one-year $5 million deal that could have landed Torre as much as $8 million had the Bombers won the World Series.
The Yankees made the postseason in all 12 years of Torre's tenure and won four World Series championships. However, the team has lost in the first round of the playoffs in three consecutive seasons and Torre is just 4-13 in his last 17 postseason games. As a result, the Yankees made the change, officially naming Joe Girardi his successor on Tuesday.
Torre has 2,067 career victories for sole possession of eighth place on baseball's all-time managerial wins list and ranks second on the Yankees all- time victories list. He's also managed the Mets (1977-81), Braves (1982-84) and Cardinals (1990-95) during his career.