Miami Marlins have 'serious interest' in Don Mattingly

Don Mattingly could become the next manager of the Miami Marlins. Miami had interest before Mattingly was dismissed, as CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reported he would be Thursday morning.

Mattingly has consistently been connected to the Marlins opening, and Heyman notes the organization essentially put its search on hold to determine if Mattingly would emerge as a candidate.

marlins have serious interest in mattingly. their search appeared to be on semi-hold, waiting for this.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) October 22, 2015

Miami is seeking an experienced candidate and Mattingly is exactly that. He also reportedly has a good relationship with Owner Jeffrey Loria, a major reason he might emerge as the favorite for the job.

Just because he is available does not mean Mattingly wants to manage the Marlins, however. Now that he is no longer employed by the Dodgers, he will likely be a candidate for other managerial openings .

Add Mattingly to a list of candidates that to this point includes Larry Bowa, Bo Porter, Manny Acta, Phil Nevin and Alex Cora.