NEW YORK (AP) Washington Nationals manager Matt Williams says he hasn’t talked to team management about his job status for 2016 after going through a tough season.
”Nobody’s spoken to me about anything,” he said before Saturday’s doubleheader against the New York Mets. ”Frankly, it’s not a concern of mine.”
The Nationals started the year as World Series favorites in many circles. They began the final weekend of the season at 81-78 and eliminated from playoff contention, eight games behind the NL East champion Mets.
The Nats led the division for much of the year before a second-half slide that included a recent dugout fight between MVP candidate Bryce Harper and closer Jonathan Papelbon.
Those struggles prompted speculation that Williams would be fired. He has declined to elaborate on his situation.
”I’m not going to subject this team to any more distractions,” he said.
Williams was the NL Manager of the Year last season in his first year on the job. In February, the Nationals picked up the option on his contract for 2016.
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