Everyone's favorite former DFW baseball writer, Gerry Fraley, has a new column up where he addresses Jon Daniels' job security:
As general manager of the Texas Rangers, Jon Daniels has tried mightily to restore order to an organization that disintegrated into chaos during John Hart’s tenure. Daniels has made significant strides in rebuilding a broken player-development system and has brought together the elements of the organization that drifted apart under Hart.
That said, Daniels is on an increasingly short leash for one reason. In his tenure, the Rangers have made a series of spectacularly bad decisions on pitchers. Armando Galarraga threatens to join the list.
Galarraga, a 26-year-old rookie righthander, has made two strong starts for Detroit. The Rangers dropped Galarraga from the major-league roster last winter even though he had one option season remaining and traded him to the Tigers for minor-league outfielder Michael Hernandez, who was released during spring training.
The deteriorating Rangers could use Galarraga now. They could also use righthander Chris Young, sent to San Diego in the Adam Eaton deal after the 2005 season; and lefthander John Danks, traded to the Chicago White Sox for righthander Brandon McCarthy before the 2007 season.
Eaton spent one injury-riddled season with the Rangers, and McCarthy is currently on the disabled list. They are a combined 12-14 with the Rangers.
Chris Young has 21 wins in two-plus seasons with the Padres. After going 6-13 as a rookie last seasons, Danks is 2-1 with a 3.04 ERA in four starts this season and has 14 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings.
None of this sits well with the organization’s new president: Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan.
Fraley seems to be saying flat out that Ryan is unhappy with Daniels, or at least his handling of the team's pitching, which is not something that has been said directly by anyone in the D/FW media, to date.