The deal signed by Matt Williams to manage the Nationals, which was agreed upon back in October, is a two-year pact that includes two club options, reports Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Details of the contract were previously unreported.
As Kilgore notes, two years is a fairly typical guarantee for a manager without MLB experience, and Williams follows in the footsteps of the Cardinals' Mike Matheny in that regard. On the other hand, other first-time skippers to sign on for the 2014 season — Brad Ausmus of the Tigers, Ryne Sandberg of the Phillies, Rick Renteria of the Cubs, and Bryan Price of the Reds — secured three-year deals. (Of course, we do not know the guaranteed dollars included in all of the deals.)
Coming to Washington after serving as the Diamondbacks' third base coach, Williams will face high expectations at the helm of a club that underperformed in 2013. The 48-year-old was a highly productive big leaguer over 17 seasons, most of which were spent with the Giants and D'Backs.
