The San Diego Padres have moved on from manager Jayce Tingler, and could have their eyes set on a former Texas Rangers skipper.
According to MLB Network's Jon Heyman, Atlanta Braves third base coach Ron Washington is "believed to be among those under consideration" for the Padres' vacant managerial position.
The consideration to name Washington as the next manager of the Padres shouldn't come as much of a surprise for two reasons.
First, Washington has plenty of managerial experience, with a good track record to boot. He is the winningest manager in Rangers history, with a 664-611 record and two American League pennants over eight seasons in Texas. Washington's tenure only ended because of an abrupt and surprising resignation near the end of the 2014 season for personal reasons.
Second, Padres general manager A.J. Preller has many ties to the Rangers organization. He spent more than a decade with the Rangers in a number of roles, including assistant GM before he was hired as the Padres general manager in 2014. Before Preller hired him as the Padres manager in 2019, Tingler had spent 13 years in the Rangers organization.
If Washington were to be hired, he would become the third-oldest skipper in baseball at 69 years old. It would be a big shift from Tingler, who at 40 years old, is cut from a different cloth. In September, there were reports from The Athletic and the San Diego Union-Tribune of severe scrutiny of Tingler from within the clubhouse, putting his future at the helm of the Padres in question.
After a strong start to the 2021 season, the Padres fell apart down the stretch. Not only did they fail to make the postseason, they didn't even finish above .500, going 79-83 in the campaign.
Washington would bring vast experience to the role, and players loved playing for him during his time as manager of the Rangers. In addition, older-but-more-experienced managers have had success recently.
The Chicago White Sox brought in the 76-year-old Tony La Russa prior to the 2021 season, and ended up winning the AL Central with a 93-69 record. The 72-year-old Dusty Baker and 65-year-old Brian Snitker are both at the helm of the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves, respectively. Both clubs won their divisions and are currently in their respective league's championship series.
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