The Texas Rangers opted to fire manager Chris Woodward, who led the team to a 51-63 record so far in 2022.
After overhauling their roster (with particular emphasis on the offense) over the offseason, the Rangers expected more from Woodward, but even though they are currently third in the AL West division, that wasn’t enough for them to keep the skipper.
The Rangers released a statement about their recent decision.
Texas Rangers dismiss Chris Woodward as manager. pic.twitter.com/1d1ZLDp73f
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) August 15, 2022
They said third base coach Tony Beasley will take over the team, at least for now.
The statement talks about trying to establish a winning culture, which certainly hasn’t happened, or not to the extent that president of baseball operations Jon Daniels would like.
They say that team performance was a big part of their decision, and wished the best for Woodward, who “worked tirelessly under what was at times some difficult circumstances.”
A Fresh Start For The Rangers, But They Will Need To Improve The Roster In Order To Compete
The Rangers will have to start over with a new manager.
Woodward was in charge for three-plus seasons, and left with a 211-287 record.
The Rangers brought in Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Kole Calhoun, Jon Gray, Martin Perez, Mitch Garver, and other high-profile players over the offseason.
Most of them have performed as expected, or even better, but there is still a lot of work to be done in player development and acquisition before considering the Rangers a contender.
Their lousy record is not exclusively Woodward’s fault, but he did himself no favors.
If the Rangers play their cards right, they could potentially return to contention next year, but they will need to find some pitching or improve and develop their own hurlers.