Rangers sign manager Ron Washington to two-year contract

By Aaron GleemanNov 4, 2010, 4:49 PM EDT
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Shortly after the World Series ended Rangers general manager Jon Daniels announced that signing manager Ron Washington to a new contract was the team’s first offseason priority and sure enough the two sides agreed to a deal today.

Washington gets a two-year contract after leading the Rangers to their first playoff appearance since 1999 and first World Series in franchise history.

He has a 331-317 overall record since taking over for Buck Showalter in 2007, improving the team’s win total in each of the past three years.

Washington drew criticism for his in-game tactics at various points in the playoffs, but Rangers players have constantly praised his enthusiastic demeanor and loose clubhouse. No word yet on if ‘Lil Wash also gets a contract extension.

Oakland Athletics reverse course, will continue to pay minor leaguers

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By Craig CalcaterraJun 5, 2020, 7:11 PM EDT
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Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that Oakland Athletics owner John Fisher has reversed course and will continue to pay minor leaguers. Fisher tells Slusser, “I concluded I made a mistake.” He said he is also setting up an assistance fund for furloughed employees.

The A’s decided in late May to stop paying paying minor leaguers as of June 1, which was the earliest date on which any club could do so after an MLB-wide agreement to pay minor leaguers through May 31 expired. In the event, the A’s were the only team to stop paying the $400/week stipends to players before the end of June. Some teams, notable the Royals and Twins, promised to keep the payments up through August 31, which is when the minor league season would’ve ended. The Washington Nationals decided to lop off $100 of the stipends last week but, after a day’s worth of blowback from the media and fans, reversed course themselves.