By Veronica An
In 2005, Jon Daniels became the youngest general manager in MLB history. Former manager John Hart resigned from the Texas Rangers after four years with the team. 28-year-old Daniels made his first trade by swapping Alfonso Soriano to the Washington Nationals for Brad Wilkerson, Terrmel Sledge, and Armando Galarraga. Daniels received criticism for trading Soriano, who hit 46 home runs and stole 41 bases for the Nationals. Later in the season, Daniels traded away Chris Young and Adrian Gonzalez, both of whom have become All-Star players for the San Diego Padres. GM Daniel’s unpopular trades did not start to pay off until 2008 with newcomer Josh Hamilton headlining the team. Four years after Daniels became GM, the Rangers were in playoff contention and ended the season 87–75, winning them second place in AL West. In the past 10 years, the Rangers have placed among the top 5 in AL West and won four American League Division Series titles.