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Former Manager of the Year Matt Williams to manage KBO's Kia Tigers

The Washington Post / Getty

Matt Williams, the Oakland Athletics' third-base coach and a former National League Manager of the Year, has landed a new managing gig with the Korean Baseball Organization's Kia Tigers, according to Yonhap News.

Kia signed Williams to a three-year contract. It's expected he'll arrive in South Korea on Thursday, Yonhap reports.

The 53-year-old managed the Washington Nationals from 2014 to 2015 with mixed results. In his first season, Williams guided the Nats to 96 wins and a division title, and he was named NL Manager of the Year. The team was eliminated in the NLDS.

But Williams' second campaign in D.C. ended in disappointment after the Nationals slumped to just 83 wins amid a chaotic clubhouse environment. Under his watch, closer Jonathan Papelbon famously choked Bryce Harper mid-game in the Nationals' dugout.

Washington fired Williams one day after the 2015 season ended, making him the first skipper to lose his job the season after winning Manager of the Year.

Williams, who was a five-time All-Star during his 17-year playing career, had coached third base on Bob Melvin's staff in Oakland since 2017.

The Kia Tigers, based in Gwangju, South Korea, finished seventh in the KBO this season with a 62-80 record. Several former big-leaguers played for the team in 2019, including ex-Detroit Tigers pitcher and one-time top prospect Jacob Turner, and former Houston Astros outfielder Preston Tucker.

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