WASHINGTON -- Nationals vice president and general manager Jim Bowden received an expected contract extension Thursday. Team officials announced that Bowden's deal has been extended through April 2006.

The team also announced that Bob Boone was named interim senior director of player development/assistant general manager, and Andy Dunn (interim farm director) and Scott Little (field coordinator) also were appointed to new positions.

Nationals team president Tony Tavares has repeatedly said that Bowden should get a chance to remain as general manager, and he got his wish.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Jim this past season, and look forward to working with him over the next several months," Tavares said. "Jim is one of the hardest working general managers in the game, and I have every confidence that he will improve our team this offseason while continuing to build a solid foundation."

Bowden's contract was set to expire Oct. 31, and sources have said that the team's new ownership will determine his future after this extension ends.

Bowden joined the team on Nov. 2, 2004, days after Major League Baseball confirmed that the franchise would be moving from Montreal to Washington. The Nationals finished with an 81-81 record in 2005 and battled for a playoff spot until the last days of the season. Washington's 14-game improvement tied Milwaukee for the third-best in baseball.

Boone joined the Nationals last December as special assistant to the general manager and worked with Bowden throughout the season, mostly in baseball operations.

Dunn has been with the franchise for four years and just finished his first season as vice president of ballpark operations.

Little comes to the Nationals with 10 years of experience as a Minor League manager with the Dodgers and Pirates.

Little managed Vero Beach of the Class A Florida State League this past season. His team finished with a 77-56 record and won the first-half East Division title. He's now managing Phoenix in the Arizona Fall League.