DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - The Rangers made a surprising addition to the front office on Friday when they announced that they were bringing in former pitcher Chris Young to be the club's general manager.
Young, who previously served as the Sr. VP of Major League Baseball, will report to Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels.
"This is an exciting day for the Texas Rangers organization," Daniels said Friday. "Chris Young's background and experiences will be a huge asset to our baseball operations group. He is a very well-regarded executive in our game in his role as Major League Baseball's head of on-field operations. Chris' 13-year MLB career, including two seasons with the Rangers, gives him a perspective that is unique in baseball management.
"When Ray Davis and I sat down after the season to evaluate our baseball operation, we agreed that adding the seperate role of General Manager would make us a stronger organization in a number of ways. The responsabilities of running a Major League baseball operation have increased significantly and many successful MLB organizations now have a similar structure in place.
"I welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Chris and the many talented individuals we have in the Texas Rangers baseball operations group as we continue to grow and improve on both the major and minor league levels."
Young, a Dallas native and a graduate of Highland Park High School, can't wait to get to work with his hometown club.
"I am extremely excited to join Ray, Jon and the entire Texas Rangers organization," Young said. "As a Dallas native who grew up rooting for the Rangers, I recognize what a special opportunity this is and how much the Rangers mean to this community. I look forward to learning from and working with Jon on a daily basis. I am confident that with his and Chris Woodward's leadership and with the strong group of baseball operations individuals in place, we will accomplish our goal of building a championship team.
"Additionally, I would like to thank Commissioner Manfred, Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem and all of the employees at Major League Baseball. I am grateful for their leadership and excited for the bright future of our game."
Young posted a 79-67 record with a 3.95 ERA in his 13 MLB seasons. He spent the 2004 and 2005 seasons with the Rangers.
The 41-year-old graduated from Princeton University in 2002 with a BA in politics.
"When Jon recommended that we add the role of General Manager, I was in total agreement with his thinking," Davis said. "I have had the opportunity to interact with Chris Young on a number of Major League Baseball initiatives, and his qualifications make him the ideal person to take on this role.
"I believe in Jon Daniels and his track record of building winning teams. I am very optimistic about the future of our club and I look forward to working with Jon, Chris, and our baseball group in 2021 and beyond."
