DALLAS — The Texas Rangers haven’t seen meaningful action in October since the end of the 2016 season when they won their seventh division title only to be swept out in the ALDS.
Since then, the Rangers have been mired in a rebuilding effort that has lasted six consecutive years of losing, which cost former Manager of the Year winner Jeff Banister his job, followed by his predecessor Chris Woodward this summer.
The ultimate condemnation of the current era was the ousting of President of Baseball Operations Jon Daniels soon after Woodward was given the boot.
With Daniels gone, general manager Chris Young was elevated to the lead role in steering the franchise back to contention as the franchise’s first decision maker since Daniels became the youngest GM in baseball history at the time when he took over in October of 2005.
The first order of business for Young in his first offseason as the team’s architect will be finding a manager that he believes can captain the team from their depths of a 68-94 finish in 2022, which was good enough to barely get them out of the basement in the AL West for the first time since finishing third in 2019.
With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the candidates that the Rangers could have interest in to become the 25th manager in team history:
The Interim:
Tony Beasley
When the Rangers let Woodward go on Aug. 15, third base coach Beasley was installed as the team’s interim manager for the remainder of the season. Beasley, a holdover from the Banister regime, had been a coach with Texas since the 2015 season after coaching with the Washington Nationals and Pittsburgh Pirates at the big league level.
At the minor league level, Beasley was named Low Class-A Manager of the Year by Baseball America in consecutive seasons with the Hickory Crawdads from 2002-03.
The Up-and-Comers:
Will Venable
Matt Quatraro
Joe Espada
Carlos Beltran
When Jon Daniels ran the show, he inherited Buck Showalter as his manager before hiring three managers throughout his 16 and a half years with Texas. Ron Washington, Jeff Banister, and Chris Woodward all had something in common. None of them had enjoyed previous big league managerial experience when the Rangers gave them their first opportunity.
That stylistic choice eventually worked out well with Washington and was an initial success with Banister before his tenure quickly ran its course. For Woodward, one could argue that he was never set up for success with the rosters that were given to him.
Nevertheless, Woodward’s inability to lead the team out of their rebuilding effort could cause a course correction for Young. Will he go with another hot manager prospect hoping to land the next top skipper like Daniels preferred to do, or will he opt for a veteran who has proven himself elsewhere even if the tread on the tire is a little more bare?
As far as the first-timers go, expect to hear Boston Red Sox bench coach Venable, Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Quatraro, and Houston Astros bench coach Espada linked to Texas as long as the Rangers are open to the idea of hiring a rookie manager.
Beltran is another name to watch out for. The former Ranger was hired to manage the New York Mets before resigning prior to his first game following his involvement in Houston’s cheating scandal that tainted their World Series championship.
With another year removed from the scandal, perhaps Beltran has been rehabilitated enough to become a candidate for Texas.
The Veterans:
Bruce Bochy
Joe Maddon
Mike Matheny
Don Mattingly
Mike Scioscia
If Young and the Rangers shy away from a novice manager, they will have options for skippers with success at previous gigs. The biggest name, and likely favorite if he is open to coming to Texas, is Bochy. The three-time World Series champion with San Francisco is alleged to be eyeing a return to the dugout and has a connection with Young from the former pitcher’s playing days.
The Rangers have already met with Bochy to feel out his interest.
If Bochy passes on ending his retirement to join the Rangers, former big league managers such as Maddon, Matheny, Mattingly and Scioscia could be of varying interest.
Maddon is an eccentric option that could quickly wear out his welcome but he has taken two franchises to the World Series and is the man who pulled the strings to bring the Chicago Cubs their first championship in over a century.
Matheny replaced Tony LaRussa in St. Louis and earned a trip to the 2013 World Series with the Cardinals while enjoying a 591-474 record in six and a half seasons there. However, his second job with Kansas City was a resounding dud (165-219, three seasons) which could make him an undesirable candidate.
Mattingly too is fresh off an unfavorable stint with the Miami Marlins that ended with a .430 winning percentage after seven seasons. However, Mattingly got that job after putting together five winning seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which included three division titles.
Scioscia would be the most unlikely hire on this list after he retired following the 2018 season. However, as one of the more respected managers from his era (and a 2002 World Series champion with the Los Angeles Angels), the Rangers would likely at least entertain the idea if he were interested in managing again.
The Fan Favorites:
Ron Washington
Michael Young
Washington, the most successful manager in franchise history, resigned from his post during the 2014 season citing personal reasons. The two-time World Series manager for Texas returned to his roots as third base coach with the Oakland Athletics before joining the Atlanta Braves in that role in 2016.
In 2021, Washington finally won the championship that eluded him in Texas and has remained open to managing again if given another chance. Will that happen with the Rangers? More than likely not. However, fans would likely be excited to see the reunion.
Young hiring Young would also be seen as a coup by the Rangers faithful but Young the former Rangers hitter and current special assistant has never shown an inclination for coaching full time at the big league level. Young will coach for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic which perhaps could kindle the flame.
The Rangers expect to be contenders as soon as the 2023 season so whomever Chris Young hires to manage the squad will be asked to win sooner rather than later.
Who do you hope to see stewarding the Rangers in 2023? Share your predictions with us on Twitter @BaseballTX.