Nationals want him back, but will Davey Johnson keep managing after this season?

By moving from the front office to the dugout in the middle of last season Davey Johnson is in a unique situation with the Nationals, as his contract as manager ends after this season while his contract as a team consultant runs through 2013.

General manager Mike Rizzo made it very clear that he wants Johnson back next season, but there was never any doubt about that considering the Nationals’ league-best 93-61 record and seemingly roster-wide respect for the manager.

However, the 69-year-old Johnson has stopped just short of saying he’ll definitely be back as manager, telling Bill Ladson of MLB.com:

I’ve had conversations with Rizzo about that, and he had conversations with ownership. I feel good about my situation. I feel good about where we are at. Those things will be addressed after the season. I think Rizzo and ownership are perfectly comfortable when deciding to have me back after this season is over. Again, I’m comfortable with that, too. Let’s see what happens.

Johnson added that he won’t talk to Rizzo about contract stuff until after the playoffs, by which point he might be thinking about going out on a high note or at least have some pretty great leverage for a big raise. According to Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post “neither seem concerned that the talks will result in anything other than a new deal.”