The Washington Nationals had a season for the ages in 2012.

The team brought postseason baseball back to the city for the first time in over 70 years and finished with a winning record for the first time since moving from Montreal. Exciting young stars Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg had great seasons while veterans Jayson Werth and Michael Morse added depth to the lineup.

Although the team lost in heartbreaking fashion, giving up a six-run lead in Game 5 of the division series to the St. Louis Cardinals, the future has never been more bright for the squad.

Manager Davey Johnson was an instrumental part of the team and was one reason why the club was able to be so successful. Johnson is currently not under contract after the season ended and many fans wonder if the manager will return.

"Is there some unfinished business? Yeah, there's some unfinished business. But that'll be up to ownership. That ball is in their court. I don't have a bad feeling, and I don't mind waiting until November like last year," Johnson told the Washington Post.

According to ESPN.com, the team "became the first team in baseball history to blow a lead of more than four runs en route losing a winner-take-all postseason game."

After giving up the 6-run lead, the Nationals lost the game 9-7, allowing the Cardinals to advance to face the San Francisco Giants. Johnson spoke to the newspaper about his use of his pitchers in the game, including closer Drew Storen and starter Edwin Jackson, and defended his actions.

"Any manager in baseball, they will tell you, if you can get to your closer with a lead, you've done good. I don't give a rat's a-- what anybody else thinks. If it's a one-run lead, a two-run lead, you did it," Johnson told the newspaper.

Although the game ended badly for the Nationals, Johnson said his team stuck together.

"I was not happy with how it finished out," Johnson said. "I told the guys after the game, I said I'm proud of them, period. I talked to Storen: 'Don't beat yourself up too bad.' "

The 69-year-old manager has been a steadying hand for the team over the past two years. He was brought in to lead the team in 2011 after former manager Jim Riggleman resigned after not getting a contract extension. Johnson was a senior advisor to the team and stepped into the role of manager at the request of general manager Mike Rizzo.

"I'd like to be back. They haven't asked me my opinion," Johnson told the newspaper. "But I have a good relationship with Rizzo and we've talked about if I come back, we've had some discussion on the coaching staff and players. I don't have a contract. I guess when they get around to it, they'll get around to it."

The Nationals finished 2012 with the best record in baseball at 98-64 and finished first place in the National League East for the first time.

Both Rizzo and Johnson were criticized during the second half of the season after the team made a decision to shut down phenom Stephen Strasburg to help limit his innings. Whether he could have helped the team in the playoffs will remain a mystery, but the move most likely will help Strasberg down the line in his career.

"It's a good conversational piece, it's a good debatable subject," Rizzo explained to the Washington Times in September. "But most of the people that have weighed in on this know probably 10 percent of the information that we know, and that we've made our opinion based upon."

"We've been consistent with every player in the developmental system, and we've treated them all the same: with as much care as Stephen Strasburg. Just because we're in a different position in the standings, we're not going to forego my philosophy of player development and keeping pitchers healthy. We're being consistent with it throughout."

Johnson has been an invaluable piece to the Nationals puzzle and all signs so far point to him coming back. He is getting up there in age, but his experience and knowledge of the game has only been a positive for Washington since he took over as manager.

Next season will be tough for the Nationals because they will be dealing with high expectations after such a successful run in 2012. But with another year of experience for guys like Harper, Strasburg and shortstop Ian Desmond, the team has potential to win a World Series and to be very successful.

If they make it to the Big Game next year, chances are Johnson will play a huge role in it.