St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, whose team missed the playoffs in 2016 for the first time in his five-year tenure, has agreed to a three-year contract extension.
The Cardinals announced the new contract Thursday, a day after the rival Chicago Cubs won the World Series. Terms were not disclosed. Matheny had one year remaining on his previous contract, and the extension keeps him with the team through 2020.
The Cardinals have averaged 92 wins per season since Matheny took over after Tony La Russa retired following the World Series-winning 2011 season. Overall, Matheny is 461-349.
Matheny, 46, a former Gold Glove catcher, led the Cardinals to playoff appearances in 2012 through 2015 before falling one game short this season, including NL Central titles in 2013-2015. He also led St. Louis to the 2013 World Series, losing in six games to Boston.
Matheny was lauded for leading the Cardinals to baseball’s best record in 2015, a 100-win season in which they lost to the Cubs in the first round of the playoffs. But they dropped to 86 wins last season, 17 1/2 games behind the Cubs.
The Cardinals, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants were in a three-way race for the final two playoff spots, with the Cardinals falling just short.
"Mike has continued the Cardinals tradition of winning in his first five years as manager and we are happy to extend his contract leading our club on the field through 2020," Cardinals principal owner and CEO, Bill DeWitt Jr., said in a statement.
A message seeking comment from Matheny was not immediately returned.
The Cardinals also announced changes in their coaching staff. Bill Mueller, who served as third base coach in Jose Oquendo’s absence, will return to his former duty as assistant hitting coach. Oquendo missed the entire season after undergoing knee replacement surgery.
Oliver Marmol, who was manager of the Class A Palm Beach affiliate, will be first base coach in 2017. Triple-A Memphis manager Mike Shildt moves to quality control coach for the major league team. The Cardinals said all of the other major league coaches will return except assistant hitting coach Derrick May.
