Rangers hire Bruce Bochy

Bruce Bochy is back in the game. On Friday morning it was announced that the San Francisco Giants beloved manager had signed a three-year deal to manage the Texas Rangers. These colors will take some getting used to.

Bochy retired in 2019 after 13 seasons with the Giants, including three championships. Yet even as he drifted off into the San Francisco sunset, it never really felt like a true retirement.

His initial retirement came after just one year of Farhan Zaidi’s tenure, when there was a sense that with a new front office that was more analytically driven, and new school, that Bochy’s days were probably numbered. Always a loyal company man, it was pretty easy to view Bochy’s retirement as quietly stepping aside before things got awkward, and before the front office had to potentially force out the most successful and adored manager in franchise history.

Bochy used the word “retirement” and not “resignation,” but never actually sounded retired. In interviews and radio hits after his final Giants season, he would only ever commit to sitting out for one season at a time, while taking on a mild consulting role with the Giants. You didn’t get the sense that he was marching down to Staples to print out résumés, but you didn’t get the sense that he’d hang up if an interesting job came calling, either.

An interesting job came calling, apparently.

The Rangers are coming off of a rough year in which they went 68-94 and finished fourth in the AL West. They have work to do, but some interesting pieces, including last offseason’s price middle infield signings: shortstop Corey Seager and second baseman Marcus Semien.

With MLB’s schedule shift starting in 2023, the Giants will face the Rangers every year going forward. San Francisco hosts Texas for a three-game series starting August 11, and it’s safe to say that Boch will got a raucous ovation on those days.