Charlie Manuel is not done. He still wants to manage, and fully plans to do so in 2014. Free on a Sunday late morning for the first time in a long time, Manuel appeared on Sirius XM and MLB Network Radio's "The Front Office" yesterday with former General Managers Jim Duquette and Jim Bowden and made his intentions clear: he wants to manage.
The obvious place to start with that discussion is the Washington Nationals. The team has already announced that after the season Davey Johnson will move from the dugout back to the front office where he was before taking over the team for last season.
Bowden asked, "If Mike Rizzo gives you a call in October at the appropriate time and says, 'Charlie Manuel, will you have interest in coming and managing the Washington Nationals in 2014, your answer will be:"
Manuel responded, "I got interest in every option that I possibly got…I'll talk to anyone…I want a job where I'll be comfortable…and we can communicate, and I'll definitely win. I think sometimes people don't understand just how much I want to win. I preach it every day."
Manuel lives in Buena Vista, Virgina. While it's not close enough for Manuel to commute to Washington, D.C., it's only about a three-hour drive.
As Mike Missanelli pointed out last week on 97.5 the Fanatic, Manuel may have one person in his corner in Jayson Werth. And Werth spent some time talking about Manuel over the weekend to the Washington Post that would indicate as much:
“I owe him a lot,” said Werth, standing at his locker in the visitor’s clubhouse at Turner field, talking about Manuel for nearly 15 minutes. “I took a lot for me to win him over, but once he put me in there, he believed in me as much if not more than anyone I’ve ever played for. I owe him a lot. He was the one that kind of pushed me to become the player I became….He’s the best manager I ever played for".
Plus, wouldn't Nationals management love to stick it to their division-rival Phillies?
If Manuel wants to manage and has an opportunity, we will not see him working as Assistant to the General Manager or whatever title he would be given. More managers will be fired in the offseason. I would not be shocked if someone takes him on.
Listen to the full Sirius XM interview here:
