The Braves’ third base coach Ron Washington has seen near universal praise for his work since he joined the organization. In addition to be a constant source of encouragement and advice in the locker room, he has been largely credited for his work in shoring up Atlanta’s infield defense thanks to his relentless drills before and after games.

Washington came to the Braves with nearly 1,300 games managed when he was with the Rangers for the 2007-2014 seasons. As a result, there was always a real risk that he would get strong consideration for other managerial vacancies should they arise. Earlier, it was reported that Washington got an interview for the Padres’ open manager spot and now it looks like he is going to get a second look.

Jayce Tingler and Ron Washington are the only two remaining candidates to become #Padres manager. For now. https://t.co/NaG5sUQNMC — Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) October 16, 2019

With Washington being in the final two candidates for San Diego’s job along with Jayce Tingler who also has a long tenure with the Rangers’ organization, one can expect a better than average chance that he gets the job. His lengthy track record of success combined with his influence on a locker room could be deciding factors. While he doesn’t necessarily look the part of a guy who would match well with a team that prizes advanced analytics, Washington has long preached the importance of sound defense and, with sufficient communication between himself and the front office, he could thrive given the levels of information available to him.

It also doesn’t hurt to have one of the more fun young rosters in baseball, so Washington’s interest is definitely understandable. Now the question becomes whether or not San Diego decides to pull the trigger and hire him.