As Kilgore **tes, two years is a fairly typical guarantee for a Manager without MLB experience, and Williams follows in the footsteps of the Cardinals' Mike Matheny in that regard. On the other hand, other first-time skippers to sign on for the 2014 season -- Brad Ausmus of the Tigers, Ryne Sandberg of the Phillies, Rick Renteria of the Cubs, and Bryan Price of the Reds -- secured three-year deals. (Of course, we do **t k**w the guaranteed dollars included in all of the deals.)
Coming to Washington after serving as the Diamondbacks' third base coach, Williams will face high expectations at the helm of a club that underperformed in 2013. The 48-year-old was a highly productive big leaguer over 17 seasons, most of which were spent with the Giants and D'Backs.