Dodgers set to keep Mattingly for now, but rumors put Maddon in wings

Andrew Friedman’s recent appointment as the Dodgers president of baseball operations resulted in the exile of Ned Colletti, the team’s general manager for the last nine seasons.

Will Manager Don Mattingly be next?

There is widespread speculation around baseball that Friedman will one day hire his longtime manager from the Tampa Bay Rays, Joe Maddon.

Friedman won’t speak publicly until his introductory news conference Friday at Dodger Stadium, but he is expected to retain Mattingly for the upcoming season. Mattingly has two years remaining on his contract with the Dodgers and ownership intends for him to manage the team next year, according to a person familiar with the group’s plans.

But Maddon’s current contract expires at the end of next season, meaning he could be available to succeed Mattingly as early as 2016.

Maddon is a former Angels coach who owns a residence in Long Beach. He is the only manager with whom Friedman has worked.

Maddon said this week he intends to remain with the Rays.

“I want to continue to be a Ray, absolutely,” Maddon said.

Maddon expects to open talks this winter about a new contract.

“I’m really embedded here pretty well,” he said. “The roots are pretty strong. We have a great infrastructure here. We have a great operation. We have great people.”

Rays President Matt Silverman told reporters on a conference call he would like Maddon to remain with his team.

Silverman said that while he would prefer to sign Maddon to a new contract before the next season, he would feel comfortable waiting a full year to do that.

But if Maddon and Rays wait to strike a deal, that could make Mattingly uncomfortable. As long as there is a possibility Maddon could move to the Dodgers in 2016, speculation will persist.

That would place Mattingly in a similar position as he was in 2013, when he was in the final year of his first contract with the Dodgers.

Mattingly declined to speak Thursday, but has talked in the past — as recently as last week — about the challenges of that season.

Asked whether he thought Hanley Ramirez was affected by his impending free agency, Mattingly replied, “In my opinion, I think it’s almost impossible not to.”

Mattingly then likened Ramirez’s situation to his own during the previous season. “Kind of the same for me last year, right?” Mattingly said. “Even though you feel you’re mentally tough enough to deal with anything, you’re not really worried about it, it’s still there.”

Former major league manager Larry Bowa understands.

Bowa managed the San Diego Padres from 1987 to 1988 and the Philadelphia Phillies from 2001 to 2004.

If Maddon doesn’t sign a contract extension by the start of next season, Bowa said, “Each month, the speculation is going to mount.”

That, in turn, results in increased pressure.

“I think it makes it very difficult,” Bowa said. “It’s like a cloud hanging over your head.”

Bowa said Mattingly is as capable as anyone to deal with such distractions. Bowa was on the same coaching staffs with Mattingly on the Dodgers and New York Yankees.

“Knowing Donnie, I’m not going to say it’s not going to bother him, but he plugs away,” Bowa said. “He really believes there’s nothing you can do about yesterday and nothing you can do about tomorrow. All you can worry about is today. He’s always been like that.”

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com

Twitter: @dylanohernandez

Times staff writer Bill Shaikin contributed to this report.