The Rangers have exercised manager Chris Woodward¡¯s 2022 contract option, general manager Chris Young and president of baseball operations Jon Daniels announced Wednesday.

Woodward was hired as Texas¡¯ 19th full-time manager in club history on Nov. 3, 2018, following a three-year stint as third-base and infield coach for the Dodgers. He¡¯s since put together a 100-122 record through two seasons.

¡°Chris Woodward¡¯s passion, dedication and total commitment to the Texas Rangers organization has been obvious from his first day on the job,¡± Daniels said. ¡°He provided strong leadership in dealing with the challenges of the 2020 season, and we believe he will be an instrumental part of building a winning culture here in Texas.¡±

Daniels said picking up the option was a bit of a formality as a way for the organization to emphasize its commitment to Woodward and the culture that he¡¯s working to create.

Woodward was challenged with overseeing a rebuild through the Rangers' organization when he was hired, and he¡¯s been committed to the growth and development of young players.

¡°One of the single most important things that we need to happen this year is for that young group at the big league level to improve,¡± Daniels said. ¡°Player development at the Major League level and for them to create a foundation that we can then add to, I feel very confident in him and the rest of the staff to accomplish that stuff.¡±

Young said that players up and down the organization have responded well to the culture that Woodward has been establishing. He said he has seen a collective buy-in from both young players and veterans alike.

Woodward is happy with the commitment that Daniels and Young made to him, but he emphasized that he doesn¡¯t like to focus on himself when he does his job -- his attention goes to connecting with the players in the organization.?

¡°We're very connected in our vision and what we're trying to create,¡± Woodward said. ¡°I'm just honored they put the trust in me, and I feel like we're making a ton of progress, especially from a cultural standpoint.?

¡°It isn't about me; it's about getting these 26 guys, or however many guys we have in the organization to believe in the same thing and to be going in the same direction.¡±

Woodward said earlier in the week that he judges his own success on the successes of his players, which is much more important to him.?

¡°You know, and I know why I do this job,¡± Woodward said. ¡°It's not about me; it's about getting those guys to become champions and that's everything we do every day.¡±