For the first time in a long time, general manager Jon Daniels has added an outsider into the Texas Rangers’ front office.
The last time came in 2011 when Tim Purpura was hired as farm director. That move was at the behest of then-team president Nolan Ryan, and Purpura never made it into the Daniels inner circle.
So, the hiring of Shiraz Rehman last week wasn’t just an ordinary move, even though Rehman’s duties won’t be anything too out-of-the-ordinary. He will help with contract negotiations and player acquisition, along the same lines as what Thad Levine did before leaving to become the Minnesota Twins’ GM two off-seasons ago.