SURPRISE, Ariz. — As the Texas Rangers use the 2021 season to build toward a future that includes contending for the World Series, they know they want manager Chris Woodward helping lead the charge.
The Rangers exercised the 2022 option on Woodward’s contract Monday, a move president of baseball operations Jon Daniels said was a formality.
Woodward fits with the Rangers’ philosophies of how to move the franchise forward after four consecutive losing seasons and what many believe will be a fifth in 2021.
“We were already committed to him, certainly beyond this year,” Daniels said. “When you’re in public positions and leadership positions, the contract carries meaning with the fan base and the media. It’s nothing we ever talk about here.
“Our commitment to Woody, and vice versa, it’s kind of a shared vision of where we need to take this thing.”
Woodward has a 100-122 record (.450) after two seasons, only the first of which was 162 games, since replacing Jeff Banister before the 2019 season. The franchise’s plan was far different then than it is now.
The Rangers had hoped to have a contending team for 2020 for the first season at Globe Life Field. To that end, after seeing progress from many young players in 2019, the Rangers made a serious bid for free agent Anthony Rendon, who signed with the Los Angeles Angels, but added two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber in a trade and signed free-agent right-handers Kyle Gibson and Jordan Lyles.
Injuries sacked the Rangers early, and an eight-game losing streak leading up to the trade deadline pushed the Rangers into another rebuilding phase.
Part of what Woodward is attempting to build this spring is a culture, not just with how the Rangers play but also with how they conduct themselves in the clubhouse and off the field.
It’s happening.
“I’m happy. It’s an honor to be here,” Woodward said. “I don’t like to focus on myself, but we’re very connected on our vision and what we’re trying to create. I feel like we’re making a ton of progress, especially from a culture standpoint. We’re moving this thing forward.”
Daniels said that Woodward’s No. 1 job this season is to further the development of young players on the roster as well as prospects who should make their MLB debuts.
That includes a wide range of players, from right fielder Joey Gallo to top prospect Josh Jung.
“One of the single most important things we need to happen this year is for that young group at the major-league level to improve,” Daniels said. “Player development at the major league level to create a foundation that we can then add to, whether that be via trade, via young player acquisition and development in our system, and then, ultimately, free agents.”
