Jon Daniels

Ron Washington Goes Off Rangers' Script, Admits Running Team "Into the Ground"

The Rangers just wrapped up their 2012 post-mortem press conference. It was by and large quite boring, probably by design. You can imagine the team's PR gurus urging the team brass to keep it vague, uninteresting, answer-free. For the most part they succeeded. GM Jon Daniels and president Nolan Ry ... More >>

Why (and How) the Rangers Should Go All In as the Trade Deadline Looms

What a week for Your Texas Rangers. Nolan Ryan and Ron Washington took turns publicly ripping Josh Hamilton for the alarming lack of discipline he's displayed at the plate, increasing the likelihood that he'll be headed elsewhere this offseason. Fans booed the slumping slugger at home for the firs ... More >>

This Week in Rangers Spring Training: Wash, JD and Nolan on Yu. Then, The Main Darvish.

All week it's been leading up to this: Yu Darvish's first spring training press conference, held today, wherein we discover what the newest Texas Ranger loves about the U.S. and Nolan Ryan and Greg Maddux. Straight outta Surprise, the Rangers have actually been sending video dispatches all week for ... More >>

Rangers GM on Hamilton's Addiction: "This Is Not a Baseball Story." This is Real Life.

An hour and a half after Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton met the media to address the fact that, yes, he did have a few drinks earlier this week, team general manager Jon Daniels hopped on the phone with local media. Hamilton took no questions; Daniels had no choice. And almost immediately, a ... More >>

Are Yu Kidding Me? The Texas Rangers Are About to Open the Bank Vault For Darvish.

​In winning the well-publicized bidding for Yu Darvish shortly after 10 Monday night, the Texas Rangers have positioned themselves to sign the famous Japanese hurler to one of the riskiest contracts in baseball history. And unless the 25-year-old right-hander immediately establishes himself among ... More >>

Exploring Texas Rangers' Options as Wheelin' and Dealin' Begins at Hilton Anatole

Photo by Sam MertenThe scene yesterday afternoon in the lobby of the Hilton Anatole.​Likely bracing for the departure of free-agent hurler C.J. Wilson, the Texas Rangers have already inked former Minnesota Twins closer Joe Nathan to a two-year, $14.5 million contract and announced Neftali Feli ... More >>

Cruz-ing to Another World Series: Rangers-Tigers ALCS Game 5 Preview and Open Thread

Photos by Sam MertenNelson Cruz giving me a free ticket to the gun show last year.As the trade deadline approached in July 2006, it seemed inevitable that Jon Daniels would make a bold move to bolster a mediocre offense in his first season as general manager. He targeted the best hitter on the mar ... More >>

A Rangers Repeat? History Suggests Odds Are Long.

One Hit Wonders

Michael Young: Still Here. Still Hitting.

​Don't know what else to call it, I'm just getting a weird vibe here in Surprise, Arizona. The defending American League champion Texas Rangers somehow only have two starters (C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis) inked into the rotation. Their elite closer (Neftali Feliz) might be a starter but ... More >>

Check That, Neftali Feliz Now Wants To Be a Starting Pitcher

​After watching Neftali Feliz hurl an impressive first four innings of Monday's 5-4 exhibition win over the Los Angeles Dodgers here in Surprise, Arizona, I sat down with general manager Jon Daniels to find out exactly where the 22-year-old fireballer fits in this season. Closer? Or starter? ... More >>

Jon Daniels To Be Rangers GM Through 2015

Sam Merten​The Texas Rangers just sent word: General manager Jon Daniels, who was only under contract through this season, today signed a four-year extension -- the financial terms of which were not announced. Hard to believe, but should Daniels stick around through the 2015 season, that would mar ... More >>

Making the Best of a Bad Situation: What Texas Should Do to Resolve Michael Young Mess

Photos by Sam Merten​Even before Michael Young demanded to be traded, the likelihood that he'd swap uniforms before the expiration of his contract in 2013 seemed like a long shot at best. Despite a résumé that includes six All-Star nods, a batting title, an (undeserving) Gold Glove and five cons ... More >>

My (Fausto) Carmona: Plan B Now That Cliff Lee and Zack Greinke Are Headed Elsewhere

Trading for Fausto Carmona would help ease the pain of losing out on Lee and Greinke.​Since we can all feel OK about losing out on the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, it's fair to evaluate Jon Daniels' Plan B, especially with the trade of Zack Greinke -- easily the best pitcher to be had on the marke ... More >>

Do the Rangers' New Owners Have the Money and Will to Build on a Winning Formula?

Ron Washington, Once a "Teacher," To Remain Rangers' Leader. At Least For Two More Years.

Sam Merten​Texas Rangers GM Jon Daniels and skipper Ron Washington hopped on a conference call late this afternoon to discuss Wash's two-year contract extension -- "a formality as much as anything," as Daniels put it. The general manager said it was "clearly the first order of business" in the pos ... More >>

The Ballad of Ron Washington

Over on ESPNDallas.com, Richard Durrett tells the tale of how Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels came to hire Ron Washington instead of one of the four other contenders for the skipper's gig following Buck Showalter's ouster: Manny Acta, John Russell, Trey Hillman or Don Wakamatsu. Washington ... More >>

Colby Lewis: Another One of JD's Genius Moves

Sam MertenJon Daniels​Back on July 11, I spent a couple innings with Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels inside a luxury suite at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington as the team finished a lousy four-game series with the Baltimore Orioles. His team would lose that day and limped into the All-S ... More >>

Nolan Ryan's Latest Rangers' Prediction: "I'll Take the World Series in Seven."

Photos by Sam MertenNolan Ryan bites his lip after predicting that the Rangers will win the franchise's first World Series Championship this year.​Team president Nolan Ryan predicted a World Series victory for the Texas Rangers during a rally held this afternoon at the home plate gate outside ... More >>

The Texas Rangers Thrive while Owner Tom Hicks' Sports Empire Crumbles.

As Rangers Look to Add Another Game to Division Lead Tonight, a Reminder of the Architect of This Surprising Bunch

Photos by Sam MertenAll-Stars Josh Hamilton and Elvis Andrus​As Richie mentions in this week's paper version of Unfair Park, the Texas Rangers could be headed toward their winningest season in franchise history, as they nabbed their 50th win of the season last night and increased their lead to ... More >>

Atta Boy, Jon Daniels

​Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels took a lot of crap early in his career. Altogether now ...    Chris Young and Adrian Gonzalez to the San Diego Padres for who?! If you remember the answer is Adam Eaton, you have an idea of just how far Daniels has progressed. As if sque ... More >>

Would-Be Owner Chuck Greenberg has the Money and Moxie to Lead the Texas Rangers Back to Relevancy and into the Playoffs

The Texas Rangers try to Sweep Ron Washington's Drug Episode Under Their Well-Worn Rug

Moves by Rangers at Winter Meetings Has Our Baseball Weenie Harden-ing

Meet the Rangers' new ace: Rich Harden​Despite the financial restraints stemming from the team's unresolved ownership situation, Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels skillfully inked the most dominant free-agent starter at this week's Winter Meetings in Indianapolis without adding payroll ... More >>

Rangers’ GM Jon Daniels Has Matured Into One of Baseball’s Best Brains

Jon Daniels: "Go For it" or "Stick To It"?

​Two years after sitting down with Texas Rangers' general manager Jon Daniels for this positive story with the negative headline, I had a long chat with him last week. Daniels deserves tons of credit for Texas' No. 1 farm system, for strokes of genius like Andruw Jones and Darren O'Day and El ... More >>

The Hapless Texas Rangers Turn to their Farm System

Texas Rangers' Up and Comers

After a decade of patience, Rangers' fans again believe they're about to be rewarded

Whitt's End: 1.16.09

Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End: *My summation of Thursday's dramatic plane crash/rescue in New York's Hudson River: It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!! *Found it funny that, although the crash happened at 2:30, Larry Ki ... More >>

Wrapping Up Jon Daniels' Third Year As Rangers GM

Armando Galaragga was the only thing of value Jon Daniels was able to get from the Alfonso Soriano trade. Then he gave him away for a player the Rangers released. Whoops. You want more hot-stove baseball talk from Sam? Merry Christmas ... As mentioned yesterday, Jon Daniels is entering his fourt ... More >>

A Christmas List for Jon Daniels

Here in The Sportatorium, every now and then we like to talk baseball. I mean hard-core, balls-and-strikes baseball. By "every now and then" I mean this morning. And by "we", of course, I mean seamhead colleague Sam Merten. Sam, the floor is yours: For those of you distracted by Sean Avery's ... More >>

Sure, the Rangers Are Fun and All. But There's Still Some Fixin' To Do.

Past the Halfway Mark, the Rangers Look Like Contenders and Pretenders

Rangers GM Jon Daniels is the Future of Baseball. The Rangers, Less So.

Reaction to Rangers’ Reaction

Arm-Chair Managing in the Hours Before Ron Washington's Fired

Can Nolan Ryan Save the Texas Rangers? Again?

Holy Contract Extensions! Or, Tom Hicks' New Dynamic Duo.

Ask the General Manager

MLB Balking at Rangers' Asking Prices

Boy Blunder

Is baseball's youngest general manager man enough to rebuild the Rangers?

Rangers Redux

Desperate for an assist from Dallas, the Rangers implement yet another rebuilding plan

Lil' Nellie All Growed Up

Tom Hicks: Wait Till Next Year … Or The Next ... Or The Next ...

Tom Hicks and Jon Daniels Can't Wait to Meet You!

The Lone Ranger

The Hunt for Dead October

The Texas Strangers

Rangers Get the Finger. Again.

Doogie Howser, G.M.

A young dog teaches the Rangers to forget old tricks