ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers have fired manager Chris Woodward, the team announced Monday afternoon.
Woodward was in his fourth season at the helm of the Rangers, who entered Monday night's home matchup with the Oakland Athletics at 51-63.
The Rangers haven't had a winning season under Woodward, whose career record with the club was 211-287. Third-base coach Tony Beasley was named the interim manager for the rest of the season.
The club in a statement said the team's "current performance is certainly a big part of this decision" but that franchise leadership is "also looking at the future."
"As the Rangers continue to develop a winning culture and put the pieces together to compete for the postseason year in and year out, we felt a change in leadership was necessary at this time," Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels said.
While Texas has struggled under Woodward, it remained unclear if the club would move on from the 46-year-old, as the Rangers have undergone a massive rebuild.
The team seemed to make progress early this season, flirting with a .500 record into June but ultimately falling off that pace before the All-Star break.
Daniels in his statement acknowledged the "difficult circumstances" Woodward dealt with as the Rangers' manager; the team had one of the lowest payrolls in baseball in 2021, when it lost 102 games.
"He has been dedicated and passionate in his efforts to improve the on-field performance of the Texas Rangers, and it is greatly appreciated," Daniels said. "He has represented the organization with class and dignity."
In a statement released Thursday, Woodward thanked the Rangers organization.
"I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the Texas Rangers organization, field staff, players, and fans for their unwavering support during some often-challenging years of baseball," said Woodward. "While my record may not reflect all the work that was invested, I am confident the tireless commitment by myself and everyone in the clubhouse has laid the foundation for this ballclub to move forward towards the ultimate goal of winning a championship. It is my heartfelt regret that I was unable to deliver the championship I promised."
Texas was Woodward's first managerial gig; he was previously a coach for the Seattle Mariners (2014-2015) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2016-18).
After the 2018 season, he got the job with Texas, which had fired Jeff Banister toward the end of his fourth season in Arlington.
Despite the club's recent struggles, the Rangers' next manager will enter a franchise that could be set up for a stark improvement over the next few seasons.
Texas signed shortstop Corey Seager and second baseman Marcus Semien to long-term deals last offseason, and the franchise has one of the deeper farm systems in all of baseball, headlined by star pitching prospects Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker.
Also, top-hitting prospect Josh Jung is on track for his major-league debut after he recovers from an offseason shoulder injury.
The Rangers have also seen an impact this season from three players they received in the Joey Gallo trade, getting contributions from Josh Smith, Ezequiel Duran and Glen Otto.