Texas Rangers hire Chris Woodward

The Texas Rangers have hired Chris Woodward, the Los Angeles Dodgers third base coach, to be their new manager, per Bob Nightengale on Twitter.

Woodward, 42, was a journeyman infielder who spent parts of 12 seasons in the majors, mostly with the Toronto Blue Jays. He coached in the Seattle Mariners’ system in 2013-15, and has been on the Dodgers coaching staff since 2016.

The Rangers interviewed almost a dozen candidates, but seemed to put their search on hold during the World Series, as rumors swirled that they wanted to wait to interview candidates from the two World Series teams. Woodward was pegged as a prime candidate, as he had generated talk as being a potential future manager, and interviewed with the New York Yankees last season before the Yankees hired Aaron Boone.

Woodward fits the Rangers’ desired manager profile, being a young former player who is reportedly comfortable with the analytic side of the game — the Dodgers are considered to be one of the most advanced teams in regards to incorporating analytics into their on-the-field plans. And while Woodward hasn’t managed stateside, he did manage the New Zealand team for the WBC qualifying.

UPDATE — John Blake just announced Woodward is the new manager. Itofficial.