Ron Washington is a finalist for the Padres' managerial vacancy, sources confirmed Wednesday to MLB.com, and some in the industry believe the former Rangers manager has the best chance of any candidate to land the job. One possible complication: Bruce Bochy, the Hall of Fame-bound former Padres and Giants manager,

Ron Washington is a finalist for the Padres' managerial vacancy, sources confirmed Wednesday to MLB.com, and some in the industry believe the former Rangers manager has the best chance of any candidate to land the job.

One possible complication: Bruce Bochy, the Hall of Fame-bound former Padres and Giants manager, has supporters within the Padres organization and has not explicitly ruled out the possibility of managing in 2020.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Wednesday that Washington and Jayce Tingler are the two finalists, and that both are set to meet with ownership.

Padres general manger A.J. Preller worked for the Rangers during the tenures of Washington and Tingler there. Washington was the Rangers’ Major League manager from 2007 until 2014, which included consecutive American League pennants in '10 and '11. Tingler has held managing and coaching positions in the Rangers' organization, along with front-office roles, since '07.

The Padres are believed to be prioritizing candidates with big league managerial experience after first-time MLB manager Andy Green posted the worst record in the National League West over his four seasons in San Diego. Thus, Washington appears to have an advantage, as Tingler has yet to manage in the Major Leagues.

Washington, who spent the last three seasons as the Braves’ third-base coach, has a reputation for mentoring young infielders -- notably Elvis Andrus in Texas, 2019 breakout star Marcus Semien during Washington’s tenure as a coach in Oakland and Ozzie Albies and Dansby Swanson in Atlanta.

The Padres’ hopes of competing in the NL West hinge in part on an infield that includes Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. .

Jon Paul Morosi is a reporter for MLB.com and MLB Network.