The Texas Rangers have announced that they’ve agreed to a contract extension through the 2023 season with manager Chris Woodward. The deal also includes a club option for the 2024 season. Woodward was previously signed through the 2022 season, so this new deal helps him to avoid going into next season as a lame duck.
Woodward, 45, was hired to manage the Rangers in November of 2018. His record so far in three seasons with the Rangers:
- 2019: 78-84
- 2020: 22-38
- 2021: 60-102
Obviously, that’s a downward trend from the first season through last season, but the Rangers haven’t exactly given him a ton of big-league talent to work with. The front office powers-that-be appear to have liked what they’ve seen with him in the job would like to give him at least two more years to show his stuff with what they hope will be a lot more talent.
Speaking of which, the Rangers could be among the biggest free agent spenders this offseason. The only salaried player on the roster is Jose Leclerc, who is set to make $5.25 million in 2022. Sitting in that new ballpark and likely wanting to give people in the Arlington area reason to spend on the product, ownership will likely open the pocketbook in a big way.
Once there’s a better product on the field, we’ll all have the chance to better evaluate Woodward here in his first career managerial job. Prior to taking this job, Woodward was the Dodgers‘ third-base coach for three seasons after serving as an infield coordinator and first-base coach with the Mariners. He had a playing career in which he spent parts of 12 seasons in the majors.
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