Rizzo won’t make any announcement until after World Series The Nationals likely will make an announcement about their manager shortly after the World Series concludes, general manager Mike Rizzo said Wednesday.
Davey Johnson is widely assumed to be the choice after he took over the team on an interim basis June 27 and led Washington to a 40-43 record — 80-81 overall — and a third-place finish in the National League East. Johnson said at the end of the season that he was “the best candidate” and wanted the job.
In a conference call with reporters, Rizzo would say only that all managerial interviews have been completed. He would not disclose who the club brought in for interviews. But considering that Rizzo also said Wednesday he has maintained communication this month with Johnson, who in turn has done the same with the coaches who remain on staff with the team, it appears he is the organization’s choice.
Johnson, 68, signed a three-year contract with Washington last summer to serve as a consultant with an option to serve as manager in 2012 after going through the Major League Baseball-mandated hiring process. Johnson replaced Jim Riggleman, who quit June 23 after the Nats had won 11 of 12 games and were over .500, and John McLaren, who served as interim manager for three games.
Johnson kept pitching coach Steve McCatty on staff along with third-base coach Bo Porter, bullpen coach Jim Lett and hitting coach Rick Eckstein. Pat Corrales served as Johnson’s bench coach, replacing McLaren, and Trent Jewett took over as first-base coach for Dan Radison, a close friend of Riggleman’s who was fired July 1.
Major League Baseball prefers its teams hold off on major personnel announcements until after the World Series. Game 6 between the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals was postponed to Thursday because of rain Wednesday.
“I would say — total disclosure — we’re just waiting for an opportunity to make an announcement,” Rizzo said.
In other news, Rizzo said the Nationals continue to have contract discussions with representatives for right-handed pitcher Chien-Ming Wang but didn’t expect an imminent announcement once the World Series ends.
Wang, who spent the better part of two seasons rehabbing from shoulder surgery with Washington before pitching well over the final two months of 2011, is set to become a free agent. The Nats have not had any contact with right-handed pitcher Livan Hernandez and catcher Ivan Rodriguez since early in the offseason. Both also will become free agents.
“When we figure out what we’re doing as an organization, when we get a manager and our coaching staff on board, we’ll discuss it with them and see what direction we want to go,” Rizzo said. “Not only with [Hernandez and Rodriguez] but [about] the rest of the ballclub and how to construct the roster.”
