Chris Young is nearing the end of his contract with the Rangers, as the senior VP and general manager are out of contract at the end of the season. The team is taking steps to keep Young in the bullpen, however, as owner Ray Davis said in a statement to Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News.
“Chris Young and I have been meeting for the past few months to discuss a contract extension beyond the 2024 season. I absolutely want him to continue overseeing the Texas Rangers baseball operations for many years to come,” Davis said. “I love and respect CY’s leadership and vision so much and will always be grateful for the important role he played in helping bring a World Series championship to Arlington for the first time. Although there is no final solution at this time, we will continue to work to reach an agreement. CY and I agree that our focus right now is the 2024 season and defending our title.”
Davis’ final sentence could mean the two sides could put negotiations on hold until the end of the season, or perhaps until the Rangers finish their 162-game streak or whatever could be waiting for another postseason run. In technical terms, most high-profile contracts that expire “after the season” usually have an official end date of late October or early November, rather than the actual end of the team’s final game.
Assuming this is the case with Young’s contract, the Rangers will have more time in their special negotiating window to finalize a new deal before Young officially hits the market. It is also rare for some former front office managers (Brian Cashman of the Yankees and Andrew Friedman of the Dodgers are recent examples) to stay in their positions beyond the legal expiration of their previous contracts, as it is understood that managers will stay or it may take weeks or even months in the offseason before a new agreement is reached. officially concluded or announced.
Davis’ statement makes clear the Rangers’ interest in keeping the 45-year-old Young, although the GM may be interested in exploring the market to see what other opportunities await…or, to see what offers are on the table so they can have more leverage in negotiations with Texas. Baseball leadership jobs are not always available, but among the known contract situations in the front office, Angels GM Perry Minasian is entering the final year of his contract, and the Twins’ duo of chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and GM Thad Levine. Speaking of speculation, it seems possible that Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins or Padres president of baseball operations AJ Preller could be in the hot seat if their teams don’t make the playoffs.
The results of this season may also open unexpected positions in the coming months. After all, Young’s ascension to the top job in Texas in August 2022 also came as a surprise after the club parted ways with longtime baseball president Jon Daniels. Young had been serving as Daniels’ top lieutenant since December 2020, and was suddenly tasked with getting the Rangers back into contention after a big spending spree in the 2021-22 season that led to another record losing streak in 2022.
Needless to say, Young’s first full season running the front office was a huge success. Texas went 90-72 and narrowly missed out on the AL West crown with a tiebreaker loss to the Astros, but then caught fire in the playoffs en route to the World Series. The Rangers’ long list of contenders includes trade deadline acquisitions Jordan Montgomery and off-season signings Nathan Eovaldiciting two of the many moves Young made to add the finishing touches to the title-winning list.
The follow-up was not as strong, as the Rangers held a modest 30-33 record heading into today’s action. The club has been hampered by injuries to almost every member of the starting line-up, although the football team has managed to post respectable numbers even in these short conditions. The list, however, is disappointing – basic Adolis Garcia again Jonah Heim they were among the best, most respected rookies Evan Carter again Wyatt Langford they didn’t come up, either Josh Jung he has spent almost the entire season on the injured list.
The return of injured players could help Texas get out of this hole, and naturally there is still more than half of the season left to play. Still, it wasn’t a pursuit of an organization that wanted to make a championship run, even if Young’s hands were tied by budget constraints during the season. With the Rangers without a TV contract beyond the 2024 season due to Diamond Sports Group’s ongoing bankruptcy proceedings, ownership cut spending last winter, so Texas hasn’t seen anything close to the big deals that have come. Corey Seager, Marcus Semienor Jacob deGrom.
It’s possible that this extreme broadcast uncertainty also factored into Young’s contract situation, if ownership wanted a better sense of future revenue before signing Young. It’s not known if Young received any kind of promotion after being promoted to the top job in 2022, so with the promotion and championship already underway, Young has a strong case for a new, lucrative deal. Young could also be given the title of president of baseball operations and another manager could be the new GM, depending on how the Rangers want to formally structure their baseball ops leadership.
One of the few former players currently serving as a Major League front office manager, Young threw 1297 2/3 innings over 271 games with the Rangers, Padres, Mets, Mariners, and Royals from 2004-17. His 13 seasons in the majors include highlights such as an All-Star nod with San Diego in 2007, and another ring as a member of Kansas City’s World Series team in 2015. After his retirement, Young spent three years working in various roles with Major League Baseball himself before becoming the general manager of the Rangers.
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