Rangers land highly sought out GM candidate for front office

ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 05: (L-R) Owner Ray Davis of the Texas Rangers, President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Jon Daniels of the Texas Rangers, and Owner Bob Simpson of the Texas Rangers talk with the media after announcing the resignation of Manager Ron Washington at Globe Life Park in Arlington on September 5, 2014 in Arlington, Texas. Ron Washington informed the club that he has chosen to resign in order to turn his full attention to addressing an off-the-field personal matter. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 05: (L-R) Owner Ray Davis of the Texas Rangers, President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Jon Daniels of the Texas Rangers, and Owner Bob Simpson of the Texas Rangers talk with the media after announcing the resignation of Manager Ron Washington at Globe Life Park in Arlington on September 5, 2014 in Arlington, Texas. Ron Washington informed the club that he has chosen to resign in order to turn his full attention to addressing an off-the-field personal matter. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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The Texas Rangers might have just made the most important move of their off-season, and potentially for their future.

If the Joe Gatto and Scott Heineman signings from Thursday didn’t move the needle for Texas Rangers fans, hiring a new GM to oversee the next generation of Arlington greats just might.

According to multiple sources, the Texas Rangers have hired former MLB pitcher Chris Young as the team’s next general manager.

Young, a Dallas native and former local high school baseball champion, returns to the Texas Rangers organization after spending his first two seasons as a player there in 2004 and 2005.

Jon Daniels, who was previously serving in the GM role, will now be promoted to President of Baseball Operations in a corresponding move. Daniels has been with the Rangers in some capacity since 2005.

Young was a popular candidate for front office vacancies across baseball, rumored to have been courted by teams like the New York Mets. However, the former pitcher expressed a desire to stay close to home, and the Rangers couldn’t be a better fit from that perspective.

The former Texas hurler comes to the Rangers from MLB’s executive offices in New York City, where he has spent the last three years as a senior Vice President overseeing umpiring and on-field operations. Young’s official title in Texas will be Executive Vice President and General Manager.

Colleagues who have worked with Young in the MLB offices regard him as one of the brightest, most analytically savvy minds in the game today, and with a lengthy playing career to draw from, the former pitcher brings a unique blend of perspectives to his new role.

Young will be the ninth GM in Texas Rangers’ history, presiding over a team currently attempting to rebuild its talent base after a dismal 22-38 record during the pandemic shortened 2020 season.