Jon Daniels Quotes (69 Quotes)

Thirty teams believe they have a chance. Some are more realistic than others but it's a very positive time of the year.

We told him that we support him but it's time to step it up. We're starting to make decisions. He seemed to embrace that. We'll see how his next outing goes.

Between outfielder and designated hitter, Buck Showalter will have different ways to get David in the game. What he did last year and what he means to the club, we'll find a way to get him in there.

Pitching help is one of the areas we are pursuing. There is a significant amount of interest in our outfielders.

We've had good reports on him the last couple of years. He's a tall (6-foot-4), athletic pitcher who throws strikes with all three pitches. He has a live arm and a chance to have an above-average breaking ball. He has an advanced feel for pitching.

The Eaton injury changed the dynamics of what we were working with.

I'm not saying we have the perfect roster or that we're the favorites. We're in an extremely competitive division, and the other teams have improved themselves, as well. But we were able to (improve) without tearing up the core of our team.

In the short term, this is the first camp where he has been completely healthy and we have a chance to evaluate him. He has taken good care of his back. I'm encouraged with the effort level and how much he has worked on his defense.

It's impossible to quantify David's leadership with the loss of a No. 2 starter. If I had to choose, I wouldn't want to part with either of them.

I feel comfortable he made a decision in the best interest of his season and our season. I know it was difficult for him.

It would provide us with options and depth. You never want to be in a position where injuries would put us in a bad spot or we didn't have depth to make a move if one presented itself.

He was able to command it better than he has and he was able to manage the game better.

He's a fiery competitor. He's not afraid.

I'm glad we're down to one spot in the rotation, and we've got time to decide. It's time for them to show us something.

This is a big holiday gift to Rangers fans from owner Tom Hicks. I can promise you from first-hand knowledge that there is nobody in the country more committed to making the Texas Rangers winners than Tom Hicks.

the Marlins are going to go in another direction with their trade.

There is no trade or pending trade despite reports to the contrary and we expect him to be here this year and at a minimum, next year. Since we acquired him from the Yankees, there has been endless speculation about where he might be headed. We have been consistent in saying that he is a piece of the puzzle we are putting together.

He's doing well down there. He's playing third base today, but he's been playing mostly second base. One of his strengths is his versatility, but he's just not versatile. He's good defensively at a number of positions.

I'd say it's highly unlikely that we're going to trade for a starter. Unless the off-chance presents itself, R.A. will be the fifth starter.

I like the idea that on any given day, we could have somebody who should be starting instead sitting on the bench.

What we had talked about at one point was a deal that would go into his free agent years, but we agreed to disagree and this was the best compromise for us at the time. It was an amicable resolution on both sides. ... With a player of Mark's caliber and how important he is to the club and organization, we certainly didn't want to get into an acrimonious setting with an independent arbitrator.

We go into Spring Training and the season with catching as one of our strengths. With Rod, Gerald Laird and the number of guys we have coming behind them, I like the situation.

The sense of urgency is always there. Whether we made 20 moves or one, Buck will have these guys prepared to play hard everyday. I get paid to have a short- and a long-term perspective. Every night at 705, Buck and the team have a three-hour perspective.

It was hard to trade David. He has been with us for two years he has a strong relationship with the players and the community. He was pretty shocked.

It was big psychological benefit for everyone involved. We don't have to answer questions about signing Tex, and it's a benefit to him because he does not have to worry about a contract all next year, answering the same questions. ... He's the kind of person we want to build around and it was important for us to demonstrate that with a financial commitment.

There's not a yes or no answer to that. We want to prepare as a team to be as good as we can be out of the gate. If two months into the season or when Roger makes a decision to come to Arlington, I'd love to sit down with Buck and decide whose spot he takes. In reality so much happens during the course of the season, I don't see it as a problem.

He was a candidate to be a fifth starter and he was here late in camp for a reason. I was hoping we wouldn't have to go to our protection starters this early, but that's happened.

By the nature of his injury, it's going to be tough to get him stretched out as a starter.

Fabio is like any other guy on the club. We want to see him contribute and pitch well at a level the club needs him to perform.

Avoiding the arbitration process for the next two years with a core player such as Mark is an important step for both he and the club. We're hopeful the contract is the continuation of a relationship that will last well beyond the term of this agreement.

There is a hunger level on the team and we want to see what we can do. This is not a perfect roster or win-at-all costs situation. We have the opportunity for the next few years to continue to put out a competitive club.

Absolutely not. Including the Florida trade, at no point were we mentioning Hank's name. I didn't bring it up on any occasion. The Marlins deal was a unique opportunity that we had to consider.

The last four years have just been a whirlwind learning curve for me, and John has made it a lot easier. It didn't take me long to realize my future wasn't going to be on the field. So this is what I have aspired to for quite a while.

I just encouraged him to take a little extra time now rather than have issues down the road. I just told him to take care of himself because his health is important first.

This was a chance to address a need, ... If there are bold moves available that give us an opportunity to take big steps, we'll take them. I'm not sure what this signals other than the fact that we're looking to get better.

Jonathan, ... has an intense natural curiosity.

He is the highlight of many late-afternoon casual conversations in the clubhouse.

Somebody his age and at the stage of his development, we don't want him sitting around for a long period of time and not playing.

We hope to make the decision at the end of the year that we want to keep him beyond the term of the deal.

I think the one about not having played is the least relevant criticism of all, ... I want to have a relationship with the players. I want to be available to them. But I'm not going to be telling them how to hit a curveball. That's not my job.

We have no active trade discussions going. Danny didn't play last year we need to see what kind of shape he is in. There's nothing wrong with competition.

That's the reality, and you can't overlook it. Rod can be a free agent, but we don't want get ahead of ourselves. Rod is the starter now and at some point we'll address that. Rod's got the job and the experience and you hope Gerald learns from him.

Rod has really entrenched himself as a quality player and a key contributor to this club. Rod is certainly our starter, he's earned that, and he has a bright future with the club, as does Gerald. ... We signed Rod to a one-year deal but it could be a longer fit than that.

Obviously, Buck's opinion is going to be heard, ... I think that's the case with all managers or at least it should be. But there will be a lot of people involved in all the decisions we make.

The longer this went on, and the more time between when we indicated we'd meet what was ultimately their asking price, it was clear that other teams were involved,

We've had calls on a variety of guys, but there's no intent on our part to move him. For me, it's important as I get accustomed to this role to have an open and honest relationship with these guys. I didn't want David to focus on anything except what's in between the lines.

The trails exist really at the discretion of the landowners. If it wasn't for the landowners, we wouldn't have the trail system we have.

He's 24 years old, a power pitcher. We look at him as a starter. He has a plus fastball, and had some success in the major leagues last year.

That's the difference to me Michael Young is the type who stepped up before we had to make a decision, when Soriano said he wanted to play second base. That's why Michael is such a leader on this team.

The industry is at a point where there's a premium on catching and it's tough to come by. I think we're in the minority where we have two guys capable of being the No. 1 guy.