Texas Rangers Lure Bruce Bochy Out Of Retirement To Manage 2023 Club

After winning three world championships as manager of the San Francisco Giants, Bruce Bochy probably punched his ticket to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

But he came out of his self-imposed retirement Friday to accept what may be his greatest challenge: managing the Texas Rangers, a team that was never in contention in 2022.

Bochy signed a three-year contract that carries through the 2025 season. Terms were not disclosed but his 25-year record with the Giants and San Diego Padres suggests he will be one of the most highly-paid managers in the game, with a salary stretching well into seven figures.

For the Rangers, who fired manager Chris Woodward and president of baseball operations Jon Daniels after the team’s signing spree last winter paid few dividends, had not hired an experienced manager since Buck Showalter (now with the Mets) in 2002.

Bochy, 67, was actually hired by one of his former pitchers. Chris Young, executive vice president and general manager for the Rangers, pitched for Bochy when both were together in San Diego.

Bochy managed the Padres from 1995-2006 and the Giants from 2007-2019.

“In his 25 years with San Diego and San Francisco, Bruce was one of the most successful and respected managers in Major League Baseball,” Young told reporters. “He’s 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.”

Bochy won World Series with the Giants in 2010, 2012, and 2014. His career record is 951-975.

The 1996 National League Manager of the Year spent the last three seasons as special advisor for the Giants but still hinted he’d like to end his three-year hiatus from the dugout. He managed Team France in the World Baseball Classic qualifier last month.

“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.”

The former catcher has a tough task ahead, especially since the Rangers occupy the same division as the Houston Astros, a team now playing in a record sixth consecutive American League Championship Series.

The Rangers finished fourth in the five-time AL West last year, winning only 68 games after an enormous off-season spending spree in the free-agent market. The team spent more than $500 million to give multi-year contracts to veteran shortstops Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, assigning the latter to second base, and outfielder Cole Kalhoun, among others. But Semien started slowly and the pitching never matched the upgraded offense.

Young cited Bochy’s communication skills, knowledge of the game, and integrity in explaining his decision to give the veteran pilot his first American League gig.

“As we went through the interview process,” he explained, “Bruce’s passion and excitement about returning to the dugout was very evident.”

Bochy now becomes the second oldest manager in the majors, behind only 73-year-old Dusty Baker of the Astros.