Texas Rangers reportedly interested in former SF Giants manager

A former SF Giants manager could be close to landing a new gig. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Bruce Bochy has reportedly met with Texas Rangers general manager Chris Young regarding their managerial vacancy.

Texas Rangers reportedly interested in former SF Giants manager

The Rangers decided to part ways with manager Chris Woodward in the middle of the 2022 season after posting a 51-63 overall record. Woodward was in his fourth season with Texas where he led them to a .424 winning percentage.

That was not the only significant change that the Rangers made this season. Longtime top executive Jon Daniels was fired in August. Daniels was hired as the team's general manager in 2005 before being promoted to president of baseball operations in 2013.

The decision to fire him was a major surprise. The Rangers had a busy offseason last winter, inking shortstop Corey Seager and second baseman Marcus Semien to a 10-year, $325 million and a seven-year, $175 million contract respecivtely.

Both Seager and Semien performed well in their first season with Texas. That said, the Rangers were hoping for better results given the lucrative investments they made.

The Rangers appear to be targeting experience with a candidate like Bochy. Bochy managed for 25 consecutive seasons beginning in 1995. This included a 12-year run with the San Diego Padres followed by a 13-year run with the Giants.

His career will undoubtedly land him in the Hall of Fame one day as he has amassed over 2,000 victories with four World Series appearances. He made three World Series appearances with the Giants and took home the trophy each time.

Bochy retired from the Giants after the 2019 season but the 67-year-old skipper continues to look for his next opportunity. He was the runner-up to Tony La Russa when the Chicago White Sox gig opened up two seasons ago. La Russa announced his retirement after this past season.

One way or another, Bochy will be managing in 2023. He was tabbed to be the manager for Team France in the World Baseball Classic next spring.

In an odd quirk, Bochy and Rangers general manager Chris Young have crossed paths before. Bochy managed Young when they were on the Padres in 2006. Young pitched for a total of 13 seasons, so there is some familiarity with Bochy.

Teams that are looking for an experienced and respected manager cannot do better than Bochy. If the Rangers end up with him, they will be lucky to have him. He is versed an modern analytics but has instincts that are tough to quantify or replicate.