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Rangers hire Bruce Bochy as next manager to replace Chris Woodward

ryan young
Staff writer
·2 min read
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Bruce Bochy
Bruce Bochy is coming out of retirement to lead the Texas Rangers. (Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

Bruce Bochy is getting back in the game.

The Texas Rangers announced on Friday that they reached an agreement to hire Bochy as their next manager. The longtime San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants manager agreed to a three-year contract that runs through the 2025 season.

“If I was going to return to managing, it had to be the right situation,” Bochy said in a statement. “I strongly believe that to be the case with the Rangers, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Bochy, 67, got his managerial start with the Padres in 1995. He spent 12 seasons there, and earned National League Manager of the Year honors in his second year with the franchise.

Bochy then left for the Giants in 2007, where he stayed until he retired in 2019. He led San Francisco to a World Series win in 2010, too, when they beat the Rangers. Bochy won three titles in total with the Giants over a five-year stretch, ending with their 4-3 series win over the Kansas City Royals in 2014.

In total, Bochy has 44 postseason wins under his belt — tied for the sixth-most in league history — and six division titles.

Bochy will replace Chris Woodward in Texas. Woodward was fired in August, near the end of his fourth season at the helm. The Rangers have had six consecutive losing seasons, and haven't made the postseason since 2016.

“In his 25 years with San Diego and San Francisco, Bruce was one of the most successful and respected managers in Major League Baseball,” Rangers general manager Chris Young said in a statement. “With a calm and steady presence, he has a remarkable ability to connect and communicate with players, coaches and staff, and his teams have always played with maximum effort. His knowledge of the game, as well as his integrity is unmatched.

“As we went through the interview process, Bruce’s passion and excitement about returning to the dugout was very evident. It became clear he was the ideal individual to lead our club as we continue to build a championship culture here in Arlington.”