With the Rangers looking like a solid bet to win the AL West, manager Ron Washington has given himself a strong negotiating base for his next contract. Washington is in the final year of the deal he originally signed with Texas after the 2006 season, and ESPNDallas.com's Richard Durrett reports that club management is very interested in bringing the skipper back. Negotiations are being held off until the offseason, according to GM Jon Daniels, since the team doesn't want to distract from the Rangers' push for the American League pennant.
It's quite a turnaround for Washington, who about a year ago was worried for his job after testing positive for cocaine use. The Rangers decided to keep Washington at the helm, and he has paid off the club's faith by leading Texas to the division lead. Entering tonight's play, Washington has a 303-290 (.511) record as the team's manager.
