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Former Dodgers Coach Chris Woodward Reportedly Named Rangers' New Manager

Kyle Newport@@KyleNewportFeatured ColumnistNovember 3, 2018

Los Angeles Dodgers' Enrique Hernandez, left, confers with assistant coach Chris Woodward before a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Tuesday, April 10, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Michael Owen Baker)
Michael Owen Baker/Associated Press

The Texas Rangers hired Los Angeles Dodgers third-base coach Chris Woodward as their manager Friday, according to USA Today Sports' Bob Nightengale.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi confirmed the news. 

According to the Dodgers' official website, Woodward spent the past three seasons as the team's third-base and infield coach. He previously spent three years with the Seattle Mariners organization, serving as the franchise's minor league infield coordinator in 2013 before being named the infield coach the following season and the first-base coach in 2015.

Woodward does not have any big league managerial experience, but he was New Zealand's skipper for the 2017 World Baseball Classic qualifying games in 2016.

As he was up for the New York Yankees' job last year, the former MLB infielder explained why he felt he was a good candidate:

MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reported Thursday that Woodward was one of 11 known candidates to interview for the Rangers' vacancy. Former Yankees manager Joe Girardi and ex-Mariners skipper Don Wakamatsu also interviewed.

Woodward spent parts of 12 seasons in the majors, playing for the Toronto Blue Jays, the New York Mets, the Atlanta Braves, Seattle and the Boston Red Sox.