The Padres have done extensive research into Ron Washington’s background, on and off the field, and have become increasingly comfortable and encouraged by what they learned.

So much so that they decided to meet face-to-face with the 67-year-old Washington with the hope of further ascertaining whether they want him to be their next manager and whether the feeling is mutual.

The interview took place Friday.

Washington has spent the past three seasons as third base coach for the Atlanta Braves, who were eliminated from the postseason on Wednesday with a loss to the Cardinals in the National League Division Series.


A major league infielder for parts of 10 seasons, Washington compiled a 664-611 record while managing the Texas Rangers from 2007 to 2014. The Rangers went to the World Series in 2010 and ’11, losing to the Giants and Cardinals.

Padres General Manager A.J. Preller worked in the Rangers organization while Washington was manager. While several sources have said Preller has long held Washington in high regard, the two did not work closely during most of that time, as Preller’s duties took him away from the major league club.

Washington resigned as Rangers manager near the end of the ’14 season and later said he needed time to work on his marriage following an extramarital affair. He also had offered to resign in 2009 after testing positive for cocaine, but the Rangers did not accept that resignation. The positive test became public the following spring.

The Padres’ background work on Washington included checking with Major League Baseball, which did an extensive investigation after his failed test.


Washington coached with the Oakland A’s from 1996-2006 and returned to that organization in 2015 before joining the Braves’ staff. He is widely held to be an infield defense guru and is often cited as among the most popular coaches among major league players.

The Padres have narrowed their list of candidates to a “handful,” according to a source. While the full list is not known, multiple sources have pointed to Washington and Rangers coach Jayce Tingler as favorites of Preller. The team also interviewed former Angels and Tigers manager Brad Ausmus this week.