The Rangers have no plans to move on from president of baseball ops/general manager Jon Daniels, whose contract expires after next season, reports Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Wilson was told that Daniels “isn’t going anywhere” and may already be discussing a new contract with the team.
Daniels was barely 28 years of age when he was named general manager of the Rangers, making him the youngest GM in the game’s history. He’s now overseen the Rangers for 12 seasons, though, and is among the game’s longest-tenured general managers.
At the time Daniels was promoted to GM (when then-GM John Hart resigned), the Rangers had struggled to losing records in five of their past six seasons. While winning didn’t come immediately under Daniels’ watch, he eventually built the Rangers up to a perennial contender. Texas averaged 92 wins per season from 2009-12 and appeared in back-to-back World Series in 2010-11. The Rangers have won 87 or more games six times in the past nine seasons and only had two losing records in that span (including this past year’s 78-84 finish).
While the Rangers’ outlook is somewhat bleak given their substantial pitching needs and the presence of the Astros atop the AL West, Daniels and his staff have kept the club largely competitive for the better part of a decade. In that time, some of his more notable moves include trading Mark Teixeira to the Braves in exchange for Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Beau Jones; acquiring Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman from the Phillies in exchange for Jorge Alfaro, Nick Williams, Jerad Eickhoff, Jake Thompson and Alec Asher; and the signings of Adrian Beltre and Yu Darvish.
Of course, Daniels’ regime has had its share of misses. Surrendering Lewis Brinson and Luis Ortiz in the trade that netted the Rangers Jonathan Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress stands out as a recent regrettable decision, and the Prince Fielder/Ian Kinsler swap didn’t pan out after a debilitating neck injury ended Fielder’s career.
Obviously, every front-office regime comes with its triumphs and low points, but Texas has been a generally successful organization under Daniels during his time as general manager and president of baseball operations (which was added to his title back in 2013).
I think it’s time they move on from Daniels.
Uh, JD is one of the best GM’s in the game.
I disagree. His last few big moves have been not good to awful. The hamels trade, Fielder trade, Lucroy trade and odor extension are all blowing up or already have. Hell, even darvish he should’ve moved earlier to get a better return than one decent prospect
Hard to say if there ever were better offers for Darvish, it’s possible but who knows. As for saying Hamels was a bad trade after this one down season is silly.
Don’t forget the Choo contract… I also agree with you on Fielder and Lucroy.
Hamels, not so much.
I guess I don’t think the hamels trade is totally awful…yet. It has the potential to look very bad in 5 years though.
If you judge every GM only by bad trades then you might as well fire them all. Geez that’s myopic. Fielder was a good move to get rid of cancer Kinsler and add a big bat–how is JD’s fault about Fielder’s health? It’s so silly to listen to fans griping in hindsight about moves like this, but ignoring moves like signing Beltre, the Teixeira trade, etc.
The problem is theres not too much more to add on to your etc. On another note, Kinsler isn’t a cancer either
Fielder is simply bad luck on a career-ending injury. Not holding that one against him.
If not a “cancer,” he was some sort of illness: dallas.culturemap.com/news/sports/03-04-14-ian-kin…
One of if not the most overrated executive in professional sports.
As an outsider to the Rangers, I agree. I don’t think he’s been as bad as many seem to think but I do believe he’s tried to out think/play his hand and been caught far to many times. He’s had so many pieces that he’s misplayed or not played at all (Gallo and Profar just to name something recently). That said, he is still a fine GM and should be extended but lord he’s far from amazing.
So you agree he is one of the most overrated GM’s but then you say he is good and should be extended though you say he has had so many misplayed hands??
JD is better than the GM’s on the open market. That’s what he’s saying.
Another hater.
I’m ready to take over for Jon.
Apparently some of the never beens here want the job too. Too bad they aren’t even qualified to sell beer at games much less decide on big dollar deals.
Sorry, didn’t know you were a professional sports critic or lack thereof. It’s opinions dude, not facts! Pretty sure, these posts are also for fans, not just the pros like yourself. Seriously lighten-up.
How do you know their qualifications? And what is your qualifications Mr. know it all!
He had a good run, but has no plan for the future. The rangers are going to around .500 for a while.
Agreed. I’m still trying to figure out what the Rangers long term strategy is.
Generally the only difference between a mediocre executive and a universally praised executive is a few blind luck moves panning out, and minor league coaches turning a few guys deep in the draft into major leaguers. Daniels has some great hits, and some bad luck misses.
Well said!
Fire Daniels. And give it all back to Nolan Ryan. Atleast he can get everything back on track and back to there winning ways. People forget Ryan was Daniels boss at one time. Daniels didn’t take the Rangers to two World Series Ryan did.
You’re one of “those” people, eh?