Report: Nationals near agreement with manager Johnson

The Washington Nationals could be close to reaching agreement with manager Davey Johnson on a new contract.

General manager Mike Rizzo told The Washington Post at baseball's winter meetings in Indian Wells, Calif., that a deal should be finalized "soon."

"I'm thinking any time now," Rizzo said, according to The Post.

Johnson was under contract with the Nationals as a consultant through the 2014 season. The new pact will officially change the 69-year-old's title to manager and boost his salary.

With Johnson as manager, the Nationals won 98 games this season and reached the playoffs, where they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the National League Division Series. He is one of three candidates for the NL Manager of the Year Award, which will be announced next week.