Rangers made a change at the dugout, announcing the sacking of manager Chris Woodward on Monday afternoon. Third base coach Tony Beasley will assume the role on an interim basis for the remainder of the 2022 season.
“(General Manager) Chris Young and I had the very difficult task of updating Chris Woodward today of our decision,” Jon Daniels, president of baseball operations, said in the press release announcing the decision. “During his tenure as Rangers manager, Chris has worked tirelessly under sometimes difficult circumstances. He was dedicated and passionate in his efforts to improve the Texas Rangers’ performance on the field and that is greatly appreciated. He represented the organization with class and dignity.
We’ve had extensive discussions over the past few weeks and while the team’s current performance certainly plays a big part in this decision, we’re also looking to the future. As Rangers continue to develop a winning culture and put the pieces together to battle for the postseason year after year, we felt a leadership change was necessary at this point. On behalf of the entire Texas Rangers organization, we thank Chris and wish him and his family well.”
Woodward, 46, spent a little less than four seasons at the helm at Arlington. Texas hired him from the Dodgers coaching staff during the 2018-19 offseason, making him a permanent replacement after firing Jeff Banister in September (with interim work from Don Wakamatsu). Woodward found himself in a difficult spot taking over a team that was finishing one last place and cutting the payroll as it began rebuilding.
Texas rebounded somewhat in Woodward’s freshman season to finish third in the AL West, 78-84. However, the club were surpassed that year with 68 runs, and the following season suffered a setback. Texas went 22-38 during the shortened campaign and then stumbled to a 60-102 record in 2021. It marked two consecutive bottom spots, but Texas nonetheless signed Woodward last November for an extension that ran to 2023.
At the time, Daniels praised the skipper for “[helping]lay the foundation for our culture” during his first three seasons. The Texas front office certainly could not have expected great results with the rosters they went through from 2019-21, and Woodward’s extension reflected the organization’s confidence in his ability to take the club into a more competitive phase. Texas signaled a desire to push payroll ahead as the offseason began, and they followed with a far more aggressive winter than many expected.
Rangers signed four players to multi-year free-agent contracts, including two of the offseason’s top three overall warranties. Added Texas Corey Seeger for $325 million over a decade not long after signing Markus Semien for seven years and $175 million. They stepped in as Rangers’ fundamental middle infield while the club signed Jon Grey to a four-year, $56 million pact to anchor the launch rotation. Texas Brass acknowledged that the jump from a 60-win team to immediate postseason competition seemed like a stretch despite such an aggressive offseason overhaul. Still, they no doubt expected a significant improvement that would serve as a stepping stone to a playoff run in 2023.
Results on this front have been mixed. Rangers are on their way to their best season in three years, with a 51-63 record that puts them third in the AL West. A 44.7% win ratio is a lot better than the under 40% mark of 2020-21, but that still means a loss pace of around 90% over a busy schedule. They are 9 1/2 games wild and will almost certainly miss the playoffs again with little hope of playing meaningful games in the final weeks of the season.
At the same time, one could argue that Rangers were more competitive than their record suggests. They were surpassed by just two runs in the season with more blowout wins (games decided by more than five runs) than losses. Had they played to a rough .500 record consistent with their run differential, they would be in the wild card picture and the general tenor of the franchise would be far more optimistic. Instead, they’ve posted an atrocious 6-24 in one-run competitions and lost so many close games that they’re nowhere near competitive.
How much responsibility Woodward bears for this record is debatable. There’s undoubtedly some unhappiness with such a poor record, but it might also be noted that Woodward is ultimately responsible for managing a bullpen that screwed up 18 leads (the eighth most in the majors). Texas has had productive seasons from some of its junior position players (ie Jonah Heim and Nathaniel Lowe), but the club haven’t gotten much from their younger starting pitchers, aside from that Dane reminder. Meanwhile, Texas got solid seasons from Seager and Gray, but Semien underperformed in the inaugural season of his free agent deal.
Of course, management decisions are based on far more than just the club’s results on the pitch. Teams evaluate a skipper’s handling of the clubhouse and the behind-the-scenes work that takes place away from the public eye. Daniels and Young evidently realized that the time had come for a change in voice at the clubhouse.
Over the next two months, this will coincide with Beasley being promoted to managerial chair. A former minor league skipper in the Pirates and Nationals farm systems, Beasley first joined the Texas coaching staff prior to the 2015 season. The 55-year-old is now in his eighth year with Rangers, a time that overlapped with Banister’s and Woodward’s tenure as skipper. This will be his first opportunity as a major league manager.
Texas will be looking for a full-time employee for the next offseason. They are the fourth team to do so since each of the Phillies (Joe Girardi), Angels (Joe Maddon) and Blue Jays (Charlie Montoyo) fired their skippers during the season. Philadelphia has shed a tear under interim manager Rob Thomson while the Angels floundered under temporary skipper Phil Nevin. The Blue Jays improved an already productive club in their first month under caretaker manager John Schneider.
Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News was the first to report Woodward’s firing.
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