NEW YORK — 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 (see story).
MLB
Mets: Former star Staub recovering from heart s
NEW YORK — The New York Mets say former star Rusty Staub is recovering in a hospital in Ireland after a heart attack on an overseas flight.
The Mets said Saturday the 71-year-old Staub is "resting comfortably."
The team said Staub was on a flight from Ireland to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York this week when he had a medical emergency. The team said the plane was diverted back to Ireland, where Staub was treated.
Staub played nine seasons for the Mets over two stints in the 1970s and 1980s. An outfielder, first baseman and pinch-hitter, he is a member of the Mets Hall of Fame and was a six-time All-Star in a 23-year career.
Staub was recently at Citi Field and has remained popular with Mets fans. His foundation raises money for the families of New York police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty (see story).