The Rangers announced Friday that manager Chris Woodward has been extended through the 2023 season with a club option for the 2024 campaign. Woodward was previously under contract only through the 2022 campaign, which will be his fourth year managing the club.
“We’re excited to continue our partnership with Woody, and we are all committed to a shared vision for the direction of the ballclub,” president of baseball operations Jon Daniels said in a statement within today’s press release. “He has helped to lay the foundation of our culture here at the Rangers, and we feel confident in his leadership abilities moving forward.”
The Rangers have gone 160-224 under Woodward, although the team didn’t make much of an effort to contend this past season. Rather, the 2021 campaign was, by design, dedicated to paring back payroll and giving younger players the opportunity to cement themselves as future regulars. That didn’t work out in all cases, though Texas certainly has to be encouraged by strides seen from Adolis Garcia, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Dane Dunning and Joe Barlow, among others.
The 2022 season will carry more of a win-now mindset, as the Rangers plan to be aggressive in their pursuit of free agents this winter with a nearly-blank payroll slate moving forward. It’s not realistic to forecast a return an immediate return to contention, regardless of who they sign off the open market, but with several other key prospects rising through the system (e.g. third baseman Josh Jung, right-hander Jack Leiter), the 2023 Rangers could have the makings of a competitive club.
Woodward’s extension is yet another reminder of the fact that managers are evaluated based off far more than wins and losses — and generally off a slate of factors that aren’t even visible to the public eye.
“After seeing Woody’s passion and consistency first-hand over the last year, extending our partnership is an easy decision,” general manager Chris Young said in his own statement today. “I look forward to continuing our shared commitment to improving the club.”
Well…. **Insert bad word**
Not sure my opinion of Woody. Poor guy has had some awful rosters to work with. He has had some success getting good things out a handful of veteran pitchers that were turned into trade bait, and found some good bullpen guys out of nowhere. Hopefully the roster improves this year and then we shall see about Woody.
Since it’s the season for MLB team nickname changes, the Rangers need to change theirs to the “Texas Waywards” – before the Colorado Rockies take it.
Ugh
There is no reason to be a Ranger fan and get disgruntled at this news. Woody has hardly had a team he can win with. We started this whole rebuild around the time that he arrived and the tear down has been real the last two years. He seems to have a pretty positive relationship with the locker room and there are other guys (Seager/Kershaw) that are considered targets this off-season that share a great relationship with him as well. It would make no sense to move on from without seeing what the next two years look like.
Good and valid points. My biggest concern with Woodward is the lack of progress players have been making with him at the helm. With few exceptions, the players have underperformed individual expectations.
Now he can enforce some unwritten rules with gleeful impunity for at least one season more
and look like a huge hypocrite well he does it
Can the writing be improved?
CHRIST!
And you want us to pay?
BALDERDASH!
Says the man not paying for anything. I mean Christ! Are you really so high maintenance you can’t just not complain about a free service, Karen?
@ traveling man and SalaryCapMyth, I am a long-time baseball fan (since 1975) and it is clear there is no need to use the Lord’s name so disrespectfully and as part of such insignificant communications.
@Dune. I don’t recognize your mythical lord. Also, what does your time as a baseball fan have to do with it? Is that a reference to your age as an appeal to authority?
Your insignificant communication is at least as unnecessary.
Hmm maybe you should look into it.
Has to be more fulfilling than yelling at every stranger you can find on a sports website like an 8 year old.
@ SalaryCapMyth: Speaking sophomorically and impertinently are not flattering traits.. Even more importantly, using the Lord’s good and holy name in vain, then doubling down when called out about such disrespectful language by proudly and rudely proclaiming you are an atheist says a lot about your maturity level and what you are “about”.. Whether you “recognize” Him or not is completely up to you, but your refusal to face reality doesn’t change He is reality. In other words, your uninformed subjective opinion does not negate absolute truth.. It has been proven historically Jesus exists just as history documents the life of George Washington, Martin Luther, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Pope John Paul II, etc. People of all faiths or, even as in your case, lack of faith, recognize Jesus’ time on Earth, they just don’t concur on who He is..
Besides, your comments also beg the question; if you don’t believe in the existence of Jesus Christ, why do you feel the need to spontaneously utter His name? You could have said any name for effect. Why His? You could have blurted out “Ted Williams!”, “Jose Canseco!”, “Derek Jeter!”, or “Mike Trout!”. Why call on Jesus during such a meaningless communication?
BTW, my preface of my time as a baseball fan was a segue into the topic, since this is after all a baseball-related web-site, is it not..
Preach it brother
I am a paying customer and the “baseball” section has gotten to where it is PAINFULLY slow to load!
I emailed a week ago and never got a response
Always swing at 3-0.
Why?
Even when the team was good, ownership always made dumb decisions. This is yet another.
It would be wiser to extend Eric Nadel
Worst decision frim the front office thus far. Woodward is the worst manager in mlb by far. Can’t believe they got rid of Bannister for this idiot. Complete joke of a manager. Here comes another losing season and last place finish