Colletti, Mattingly will return to Dodgers

Mattingly will be back in 2013

Since making the blockbuster trade that brought first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, right-handed starting pitcher Josh Beckett and outfielder Carl Crawford from Boston to Los Angeles, the Dodgers are 7-12 and sit one game behind St. Louis for the second wild card spot in the National League.

Though their club has faded to 7.5 games behind the San Francisco Giants, the Dodgers new ownership group is pleased with the performance of general manager Ned Colletti. According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, the Dodgers and Colletti have agreed to a contract extension that will keep him with the team beyond 2012.

Colletti, who became GM of the Dodgers in November 2005 and served much of his tenure under the embattled Frank McCourt, now works for a new ownership group led by Stan Kasten and Magic Johnson.

It has been an active 2012 for Colletti, who gave contract extensions to outfielders Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier; and acquired Hanley Ramirez, Shane Victorino and Joe Blanton before implementing the news-grabbing trade with the Red Sox last month.

The 75-70 Dodgers recently lost right-handed starting pitcher Chad Billingsley for the season with an elbow injury and left-handed ace Clayton Kershaw has been bothered by a sore hip.

On Friday, Colletti told the media that manager Don Mattingly will return in 2013, which is the final year of his contract. Recent media reports indicate that the Dodgers will explore a contract extension for Mattingly in the off-season.