Jon Daniels Deserves Credit for the Texas Rangers Season

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ARLINGTON, TX – OCTOBER 5: General Manager Jon Daniels of the Texas Rangers speaks with members of the press before the American League Wild Card game against the Baltimore Orioles on October 5, 2012 at the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) /

The Texas Rangers on the field performances this season have been surprising, but it all started with a successful offseason by Jon Daniels.

For all the criticism Jon Daniels gets, a lot of it warranted, he also deserves a lot of credit for where this Texas Rangers club is at. It’s easy to say, “well he got lucky”, when looking at the impact his offseason decisions have had, but when looking at the whole picture, Daniels “hit” on a lot more decisions than he “missed” on.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – APRIL 15: Chris Woodward of the Texas Rangers #8 has words with umpire Greg Gibson #53 after a player interference call in the fourth inning at at Globe Life Park in Arlington on April 15, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. All players are wearing the number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) /

The Manager and His Coaches

This is the biggest decision of the offseason and was also the first one to be made. Texas parted ways with Jeff Banister in September of the 2018 season with the goal of finding a new “skipper” who fit the mold and identity the club wanted in the future. After interviewing both internal and external candidates, the Rangers hired LA Dodgers third base coach, Chris Woodward. Woodward was fresh off a World Series run with the Dodgers and was a name that was garnering managerial interest. He reportedly had interviewed with the Yankees in 2017 when their managerial spot was open but locked in a 3-year contract with Texas at the end of 2018.

Since joining Texas, opinions of Woodward have been positive with thoughts that his management and communication style mesh well with the players and the rest of the organization. So far, his in-game decisions have been more than respectable and he’s done a good job managing a lineup that can become a bit log-jammed at times.

Along with Woodward, Texas got a new pitching coach and a new hitting coach, as well as a slew of new assistants and analysts. This updated staff has done a great job maximizing the results of the players on the roster and we’ve seen some mainstays like Joey Gallo and Elvis Andrus, take some big steps forward. While the coaching staff definitely deserves credit for the work they’ve put in, we’d be remiss to not give some credit to Jon Daniels, who had a major part in these hiring decisions.

ARLINGTON, TX – JUNE 04: Hunter Pence #24 of the Texas Rangers hits in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Globe Life Park in Arlington on June 4, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Rick Yeatts/Getty Images) /

Offseason Additions for the Big League Club

Jon Daniels made a bevy of offseason additions to the Major League roster and in support of the roster with players on minor-league deals. From Hunter Pence to Asdrubal Cabrera to Danny Santana, Texas has found production to fill the gaps from last season and they’ve played no small part in the club being in the position they’re currently in.

In the quickest form, here’s a rundown of the offseason impact signings that Daniels and the Rangers made…

11/30/18: Sign RHP Jesse Chavez to a 2-year/$8 million contract

Daniels brought back Jesse Chavez after dealing him back during the season to the Cubs for a pitching prospect. After a shaky start, Chavez has quickly become the hottest reliever in the game and is riding a 22.2 scoreless innings streak. He’s appeared in 31 games for Texas and thrown 37 innings building an impressive 1.1 WAR.

12/18/18: Sign RHP Lance Lynn to a 3-year/$30 million contract

This was the biggest addition the Rangers made in terms of length and dollar amount in the contract and it’s paying off big time. Texas and JD took a small risk signing right-hander Lance Lynn to a 3-year deal after some questions were raised about his 2018 performances. While his numbers in Texas won’t be winning him a Cy Young, he’s paired up with Mike Minor to create one of the best 1-2 punches in the AL and he currently has a 2.1 WAR, good for 9th in the AL among pitchers.

1/4/19: Sign RHP Adrian Sampson to a minor-league deal

The Rangers were able to ink right-hander Adrian Sampson to a minor-league contract with a Spring Training invite. Sampson turned that opportunity into a spot in the starting rotation and a role as a key player on this roster. Sampson, in 2019, has made 7 starts and 14 appearances in total. He sports a 3.72 ERA, a 3.79 K/BB ratio and a 2.4 WAR that has him 7th in the AL amongst pitchers.

1/9/19: Sign CF Danny Santana to a minor-league deal

Like Sampson, the Rangers were able to bring in utility-man, Danny Santana, on a minor-league deal and Spring Training invite. Hopes were that perhaps Santana could give some depth at the top of the minor-league system and fill-in for the Rangers when needed. However, Santana has been electric since his early-season promotion and has featured in 43 games for Texas. He’s able to play a plethora of positions and sports a .306 average that is hard to keep out of the lineup. While nobody expects him to hit .300 all season, he’s been a revelation and is even garnering calls from fans to be the clubs everyday second baseman over Rougned Odor.

1/24/19: Sign INF Asdrubal Cabrera to a 1-year/$3.5 million contract

JD and the Rangers brought in Cabrera as their low-budget replacement for Adrian Beltre after the legend’s retirement. With Jurickson Profar no longer with the club after being dealt at the end of 2018, the Rangers needed to fill the spot at third base and Asdrubal was a cheap option for that. However, since signing, Cabrera has found a resurgence that has led to some brilliant defensive work at the hot corner and a .796 OPS in 57 games. He’s become the club’s everyday third baseman and a veteran leader for the team.

1/29/19: Sign RHP Shawn Kelley to a 1-year/$2.75 million contract with a 2020 club option

The Rangers opted to bolster their bullpen by bringing in veteran Shawn Kelley on a 1-year deal with a club option for a 2nd year. Kelley was the back-end of the bullpen vet that Texas was looking for to support closer Jose Leclerc. However, after Leclerc’s pronounced struggles, Kelley took over the closer’s role and has been fairly effective. He’s made 7 saves for the team, has a WHIP of just 1.099 and a 1.3 WAR that his made him crucial to the club in late innings.

2/7/19: Sign OF Hunter Pence to a minor-league deal

Veteran Hunter Pence falls into a similar category as Adrian Sampson and Danny Santana as a guy who took a minor-league contract opportunity and turned it into a near-everyday role. Pence, a guy most Rangers fans should be familiar with, signed with his hometown club with the hopes of reviving his career. Since being promoted to Arlington though, Pence has become the utility-outfielder and DH fill-in the club needed. He’s hitting the ball harder than he had for a lot of his career and at 36-years old, has a .282 average, a .902 OPS and a 1.2 WAR in 50 games for the club.

2/26/19: Sign INF Logan Forsythe to a minor-league deal

Forsythe just adds to the list of veterans brought in on minor-league deals who have impressed for the Texas Rangers. Since being selected, Forsythe has been a blessing with his ability to play all around the infield and he’s been no slouch at the plate either. Through 48 games, Forsythe has a .274 average, a .811 OPS and a 1.0 WAR becoming a crucial piece to Texas’ success so far this year.

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Give the Man His Due

Obviously, decisions like these are made with a team of people and aren’t unilaterally made by Daniels. However, as the GM, he has a big part to play in every aspect of the club and if you want to slap blame on him for the missteps over the years, you also have to give him credit when things go right. Not only did he get these big league deals done, but he was able to deal Jurickson Profar and prospect Rollie Lacy for a host of young talent that has filled out the upper part of Texas’ prospect rankings. He’s consistently added prospects over the past year or so while still building a fairly competitive club and that deserves recognition.

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