Ron Washington Makes It Clear He Is Ready To Manage Again

While many in Braves country have been dealing with their own bout of unexpected news with Josh Donaldson headed North, the baseball world as a whole has experienced a week that will shake the foundation of the sport for years to come. The completed investigation, findings, and consequences handed down by Major League Baseball in regards to the Houston Astros cheating scandal has a had a ripple effect few could have predicted.

Beyond numerous debates and opinions has to how deep and detailed the schemes were, the whole ordeal has now extended beyond Houston. The end result is three major league teams with clear playoff aspirations now looking for new leadership. Furthemore, that new leadership will be tasked with the responsibility of maintaining his team’s status as a contender while also navigating through the fallout of controversy.

The Astros, Red Sox, and Mets each possess rosters that are clearly ready to win now. Furthermore, beyond the immense talents, each roster also possesses several larger than life personalities. As a result, the front offices of each of these teams, each with a general manager less than two years into his job (or in the Astros case, without a GM), must find a manager on the fly who has the ability to take on one of the toughest jobs in some of the biggest environments in the nation and succeed immediately.

This is a task very few can handle; yet, there are a few options out there with an extended history of thriving as leaders in these types of situations. Some, such as Buck Showalter and John Gibbons, have been talked too and appear to be reasonable choices. However, they have been out of baseball for more than a year. In a sport that is evolving, whether it be positive or negative, at a faster rate than ever, it seems wise for these teams to consider a person who has thrived as a coach in both the past and present for teams with World Series aspirations.

Enter Ron Washington.

Washington is about to enter his fourth season as the Braves third base coach and fielding instructor. Without a doubt, his impact has been clear and better than expected since day one. He has played a big role in the development of several of the Braves best young talents, both on and off the field. Beyond making Atlanta one of the best defensive teams in the majors over the past few years, Washington has been a major factor in creating a culture in Atlanta that strongly supports the franchise as it emerges as a perennial contender.

The ability to connect with personalities, no matter how young, old, large or small they may be, is another strength that Washington has proven to possess over the past decade. From Adrian Beltre and Josh Hamilton with the Rangers to Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuna Jr. with the Braves, Washington has always seemed to make things fun and focused on playing the game and playing it well. His teams have responded with resounding success, as Washington led the Texas Rangers to three straight postseason appearances from 2010-2012 (including two World Series runner up finishes) and waved the Braves to the postseason, literally, over the past two years.

Obviously, there are a few concerns teams might have regarding Washington’s less than ideal departure from Texas. While Washington should be thoroughly vetted, as is the case with anyone, the fact that he was a finalist for the Braves’ manager position when they hired Brian Snitker in 2016 and the Padres job earlier this offseason proves that the overall opinion of Washington in baseball remains quite high.

As a result, it seems Washington is an ideal candidate for any of the three jobs that are currently available. Regardless of the personalities or the pressure, Washington could step into the manager’s role in Boston, New York, or Houston with a good chance of helping one of these clubs move on from the drama and compete for the playoffs. There is little doubt he could handle the attention that would come with being the leader of a major sports franchise in one of the nation’s major media markets. Furthermore, he has proven time and time again that he can make the on the field product of the team he coaches better.

As a result, with the Astros, Red Sox and Mets each currently in the midst of the hiring process, logic would suggest Washington is worthy of consideration. While there is no doubt the Braves franchise would certainly love to retain his services as long as possible, Washington is clearly ready to lead a franchise again. And considering his past and present success on the field, there is a good chance he would again find success if he gets another shot in the future.