Prospect Insider - How the Texas Rangers were created

How the Texas Rangers were created

By Jason A. Churchill

By 10-16-2011

The Texas Rangers are the first American League team to appear in back-to-back World Series since the New York Yankees appeared in four straight in 1998-2001. Only the Philadelphia Phillies (2008-09), the Atlanta Braves (1991-92, 1995-96), Toronto Blue Jays (1992-93) and Oakland Athletics (1988-90) add to that total since the 1978 Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers met for the second straight season -- the third appearance in a row for the Bombers.

These Rangers were built by general manager Jon Daniels, team president Nolan Ryan and their staff of scouts and executives. Daniels took over a club that went 79-83 in 2005 and improved by just one game the following year. The club took a hit in 2007, winning just 75 games and finishing last in the American League West, and jumped just four wins forward the following season.

Since the middle of the 2006 season, however, Daniels and crew have been assembling what has turned into a modern day juggernaut -- or as much of one as we may see during times of much parity.

Daniels acquired Nelson Cruz, this year's ALCS MVP and a consistent performer for the Rangers during their two-year run, before the trade deadline in July of '06. He sent out reliever Francisco Cordero and outfielders Kevin Mench and Laynce Nix and got back Carlos Lee and Cruz.

A year later, almost to the day, Texas traded first baseman Mark Teixeria to the Atlanta Braves for shortstop Elvis Andrus, right-hander Neftali Feliz, lefties Matt Harrison and Beau Jones and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

In December of the same year, Daniels packaged highly touted right-hander Edinson Volquez and lefty Danny Herrera and mailed them to Cincinnati in return for Josh Hamilton.

These three trades are essentially what built the current version of the two-time defending American League Champions, which serves as even further evidence that free agent signings should be viewed as supplemental, as if the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox aren't perfect poster boy material for that point.

Texas Rangers 2011

Pos.

Player

How Acquired

Yorvit Torrealba

Free Agent -- 1 year, $3.25m

Mitch Moreland

Draft -- 17th Rd. 2007

Michael Young

Trade -- From TOR for RHP Esteban Loaiza

Ian Kinsler

Draft -- 17th Rd. 2003

Adrian Beltre

Free Agent -- 5 years, $80m, option for 2016

Elvis Andrus

Trade -- From ATL for Teixeira

Endy Chavez

Free Agent -- MiLB

David Murphy

Trade -- From BOS for RHP Eric Gagne

Craig Gentry

Draft -- 10th Rd. 2006

Josh Hamilton

Trade -- From CIN for RHP Edinson Volquez

Nelson Cruz

Trade -- From MIL for OFs Kevin Mench, Laynce Nix, RHP Francisco Cordero

C/DH

Mike Napoli

Trade -- From TOR for RHP Frank Francisco

C.J. Wilson

Draft -- 5th Rd. 2001

Colby Lewis

Free Agent -- 2 years, $5m, option for 2013

Derek Holland

Draft -- 25th Rd. 2006

Matt Harrison

Trade -- From ATL for Teixeira

SP/RP

Scott Feldman

Draft -- 30th Rd. 2003

SP/RP

Alexi Ogando

Rule 5 Draft -- From Oakland, 2005

Darren Oliver

Free Agent -- 1 year, $3.5m, option for 2011

Mike Gonzalez

Trade -- From BAL for RHP Pedro Strop

Koji Uehara

Trade -- From BAL for RHP Tommy Hunter, 1B Chris Davis

Mike Adams

Trade -- From SD for LHP Robert Erlin, RHP Joe Wieland

Neftali Feliz

Trade -- From ATL for Teixeira

Daniels and the front office have supplemented those foundation deals with a few key free agents signings, including third baseman Adrian Beltre, as well this summer's deadline deals to shore up the bullpen.

The decision to move C.J. Wilson to the rotation -- and to stick with that plan -- has also been an enormous part of the club's success the past two seasons, as Wilson is now serving as the staff ace.

The Rangers began the season with a payroll of just over $92 million, the third highest in their own division and eighth highest in the AL.

It's the trades Daniels made that has shaped the Rangers, who are in a good position to continue their success in 2012 and beyond.

Perhaps it's time to start calling Daniels "Trader Jon."

how-the-texas-rangers-were-created

Comments
The following 20 comment(s) for this article are shown below:

1. By: rotoenquire on 10-17-2011 00:24:15
3 of those players came from the Teixeira deal.. What a trade that was.. Toss in a couple more decent trades, draft picks and F/A signings and you got one heck of a team... No huge F/A signings tho.. something to consider with the M's.. you do not need that big splash guy in F/A just retain your own...

2. By: aerichner on 10-17-2011 02:01:25
Valid point but the Mariners dont have (and Jack didnt inherit) a Texeira to deal unless you're thinking about dealing Felix. Maybe by "huge" you mean 20 million a year (Fielder) but I do think the Rangers signed Beltre to a "huge" deal (5/80)

Also consider Daniels dealt away Adrian Gonzalez (with Termell Sledge and Chris Young) for Adam Eaton, Akinori Otsuka and a minor leaguer. Just pointing out that that was a bad deal when it happened and it looks horrific to this day. Dealt Brandon McCarthy for John Danks. Signed Kevin Millwood to a 5 year/60 million deal. Traded Alfonso Soriano when he was hitting 45 bombs a year... None of what I listed or what they got in return is part of the team that's in the World Series. We would be all over Jack if he made those deals.

Point being, every GM might screw up some before putting it all together perfectly. Daniels did and tho Jack is way older than Daniels, this is their first time being GMs so hopefully in the next few years, Jack (and his staff) will have righted the ship and will have provided us with a great product in the majors and minors. Also worth considering - as Jason has noted previously - Daniels took over a way better team than Jack did.

3. By: aerichner on 10-17-2011 02:03:39
About the list of current Rangers - there's not a single 1st,2nd,3rd, or 4th round pick there that the Rangers drafted themselves. We fall in love with the prospects we draft and make a hissy fit about trading them when we should just trust the process.

Getting drafted in the 1st 5 rounds doesnt guarantee seeing Seattle. Hopefully in the near future we're in a position of being able to deal our young talent to upgrade the MLB club with legit players and not Casper Wells types (that's not a shot at that trade, I liked it at the time and still do).

4. By: cdiggins@whidbey.com on 10-17-2011 08:23:59
Jason, thanks for this posting...this is my favorite time for baseball not because of the playoffs but because we start talking about what the M's can do and especially after reading this. Jack Z is going to get us to the promised land.

The core of Felix, Pineda, Ackley, Smoak, Carp, Catricala, maybe Fransisco Martinez (Fister trade), and others should prove to be effective. Z knows how to pick solid players with OB skills and defensive abilities.

However, see Brewers last night lose because of errors and 13 errors over 7 games in playoffs cost them this series. They have the hitting but not the D. And Z did choose many of them...we can only hope.

This winter will be fun.

5. By: Edman on 10-17-2011 08:56:13
aerichner makes some good points. There are those who still harp on about the loss of Jones, Choo and Cabrera. Yes, they were bad deals. But, every team has them. What makes them harder to take is that Seattle in that period, did not get any better, and in fact declined. Part of that is that the M's farm system, until recently, was pathetic though the 2000's. Seattle had little to deal and no help to replace aging veterans.

One thing that you do see, is a lot of help from mid-round draft picks. That's what good scouting and development can do. And, by accounts, it appears Jack is following that same approach. So, he may give up a Walker, Paxton, Hultzen, same as the Rangers did to get Hamilton. Point is, if Jack finds the right deal, he now has some talent that he can move.

cdiggins, I don't think your comments are a little misleading. Jack has placed a strong emphasis on defense, since he's gotten to Seattle. I don't think he's at all to blame for Brewer's bad defensive showing during the NLCS. There is a balance that has to be made. You have to be able to score runs as well as prevent them. It had nothing to do with Jack's draft picks lacking skills. It had more to do with construction of the team, after he left. Braun is a highly regarded defender in RF. Fielder is at first because the NL doesn't have a DH. Bettencourt is at short because they had to take him and his salary to complete the deal for Greinke. Weeks is and has been out of position at second, but that isn't Jack's fault. He should probably been converted to a leftfielder.

I think the real story behind the story is that Seattle is going to need time to turn this around. And, it very well could take two more years or more to be able to contend, but there will be a transitional period, like the Rangers, when it will start to come together. Maybe it's mid-2012. But, you can't turn around as much as was wrong with Seattle, in a year or two. It will take time, and patience.

Interestingly, the highest drafted player on the roster is CJ Wilson, who was a fifth round draft pick, in 2001. I think the Mariner roster at the time it is contending will be more comprised of high draft picks, than the Rangers.

6. By: Edman on 10-17-2011 08:59:12
The highest Texas drafted player, I mean. Sorry, it's early.

7. By: Rudolf on 10-17-2011 10:08:13
What we need is a player to develop, like say Trayvon Robinson, while having a replacement player of equal or greater value waiting in the minors. That way we can begin to trade cost-controlled guys with upside for specific needs, (or more prospects), while having someone to step right into their shoes. These type of players seem to have way more value than unproven minor leaguers. Jack has done a good job of drafting high floor guys who will give us multiple options at several positions going forward. This should make it easier to trade guys off the major league roster to get the exact fits we need.

Michael Pineda is a perfect example of this, as much as it hurts to say. With Felix and perhaps Paxton, Hultzen, etc., we have no better piece to move.

8. By: jgstecker on 10-17-2011 14:55:06
I'm a little surprised by how unimportant the draft has been to the Rangers. In the four year before they went on their run they've essentailly drafted Derek Holland, Mitch Moreland, 3 months of Cliff Lee, a year and a half of Mike Adams and Koji Uehara. I suppose Tanner Scheppers could still be something.

I'd expect a team that turned around that quickly to have done it on the strength of their farm system, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

The big take away here, for me at least, seems to be that the quickest way for Seattle to push themselves over the top may be to put Felix out there this summer like the Rangers did with Teixeira.

9. By: cdiggins@whidbey.com on 10-17-2011 16:03:16
jgstecker, I think that another ingredient that pushed Texas over the top was "luck", especially with the Teixeira trade. M's could trade Felix and unless they get MLB ready players there is a chance the acquired prospects don't work out. Texas sure hit the jackpot.

I like the way the Jack Z is doing it and I would not have a problem with trading Felix although I don't think he would trade him. I think he would trade Pineda though

10. By: Rudolf on 10-17-2011 16:21:52
I can't say I'd support a Felix trade unless he makes it clear he won't resign. We probably have another year before we have to worry about extracting maximum value. Besides that, how do you receive fair value? He's worth so much!

11. By: cdiggins@whidbey.com on 10-17-2011 19:09:07
upon further consideration,I would not trade Felix, but would trade Pineda. Toronto got Brett Laurie for Shaun Marcum. I am not an expert on pitching but I think that Pineda would be at least comparable to Marcum, yes?

Laurie has superstar written all over him- in 43 ML games 293/.373/.580 and at 3rd base, a new position he did well.

12. By: valencia on 10-17-2011 20:20:28
Speaking of the Volquez-Hamilton trade - what about Logan Morrison? I know the Marlins have indicated he's not on the block but if we can trade an arm like Pineda, Walker, or Paxton for him would you? 24 year old with 5 years of control left, good power, good contact, doesn't K too bad, walks a lot - only downside is piss poor defense and maybe questionable personality. He doesn't come with the pedigree Hamilton did but his numbers are just as good. He could be our Hamilton, and we wouldn't sacrifice much future (or any in Pineda's case).

13. By: masonb on 10-18-2011 09:30:10
I would think (and anybody correct me if I'm wrong) that Lomo could be had without Pineda being involved. I would think he could be had for Paxton straight up or Walker and a lower prospect. I'd love for Z to pick him up, but being a personal friend of Logan's I'm a little biased. I think though he would only create a logjam at the LF/DH/1B rotation because like valencia said above, his defense is pretty bad. Trust me, the personality questions about Lomo are overplayed. He was going through a lot personally much like Smoak this year. He'd be a great pickup

14. By: maqman on 10-18-2011 13:08:26
I agree on LoMo but it might take Pineda to get him. A Latino like Pineda would be big in Miami and we might get a bit more than LoMo for that reason. He would help them fill their new stadium and they would get that. They both have a long low-cost shelf life and both teams will value that.

15. By: Rudolf on 10-18-2011 13:33:12
Can someone explain why LoMo is worth a potential ace pitcher in Pineda?

It looks like he has good plate discipline. I think I remember him being touted as a 25 home run kind of guy. Those strengths aside, if he can't play defense and he isn't an All Star bat, what's the big draw? His minor league numbers aren't very exciting. His power looks to have arrived this year, but will it transfer to the AL and Safeco Field?

I'd like to think Michael Pineda could land more than Logan Morrison, but maybe I'm just uninformed. Anyone?

16. By: Edman on 10-18-2011 14:03:17
I don't think Jack will trade Pineda unless he gets someone like Votto in return. They didn't give Pineda major league experience just to turn around and trade him.

He'd have to be part of a major deal, and not one like a Logan Morrison type player.

Pineda has too much promise to send him away for a deal for an unproven player.

17. By: rocketdawg31 on 10-18-2011 14:29:00

I would think Pineda's stock is higher than Morrison's right now.

Future #1-#2 starters don't grow on trees, and Pineda shows a lot of that kind of potential.

If Pineda has to go to fill some holes, ask for the moon first.

I love Logan Morrison as a ballplayer, but as it stands right now, he wouldn't be enough.

18. By: aerichner on 10-18-2011 14:46:49
I would LOVE to have LoMo on this team - for his bat and his personality (nothing wrong with out - outgoing guy and likes to interact with fans) but he's the same thing as Nick Swisher - a very good bat to have in the lineup but not THE bat we need to get in the lineup.

All the Swishers and LoMos in the world would make a sweet lineup but dealing Pineda for them is not the answer. If we deal Pineda we wont be getting multiple players for him - it's the other way around, we'd be dealing other players with Pineda to get the monster bat we need/want. Agree with Edman that Pineda is either in a deal for Votto(or Justin Upton) or staying in Seattle.

19. By: valencia on 10-18-2011 16:44:31
Votto would only have 2 (expensive) years and would cost more than Pineda. I rather not do a Votto trade all things considered. Justin Upton I would but I don't think they give him up for less than Pineda + Walker + Franklin, which is a no.

The nice thing about LoMo is he's a left handed bat so his power shouldn't decrease too badly in Safeco. And I think we're underselling him a bit - .353 wOBA after about a year of experience, 24 years old, and hasn't hit his prime yet? Could be a star. Josh Hamilton also posted -15 UZR in his career once. But I agree, he has more question marks than Pineda while the upside is similar. I think I would consider a Walker or Paxton swap, but I'd say no on Pineda.

20. By: Rudolf on 10-18-2011 18:41:30
It would be tough to turn down Justin Upton for Pineda, Walker, and someone not named franklin, paxton, or hultzen. I think we'd have to do that.

Yet I can't fathom why Arizona would put him on the market.

What about a package with the Reds that brought back mesoraco or grandal plus two more top ten guys for Pineda? I've heard that kicked around a little bit. It might set us back a year or so, which would be prohibitive, but if those other two guys are sweet players it could pay off big time.

You are not currently logged in. If you'd like to comment on this report, please log in.
Haven't created a Prospect Insider account yet? Sign up!