Texas Rangers GM Chris Young signs multi-year contract extension and is promoted

SEATTLE – Chris Young traveled to Japan on Friday morning.

But he is returning to the Texas Rangers for a longer period of time.

The Rangers announced Friday that Young, who joined the club as general manager in 2020, has signed a multi-year deal to remain with the club. Young will also be promoted to president of baseball operations. Details of the contract extension were not disclosed.

Young's original contract, which was due to expire at the end of October, was for four years. The industry standard for long-term contract extensions is now five years, but the details of managerial contracts are kept strictly secret, unlike player contracts.

“Chris Young's impact on the Texas Rangers organization has been tremendous over the past four years,” said Ray Davis, managing partner and majority owner of the Rangers, in a statement. “His leadership and vision were critical in Arlington winning its first World Series title, and he is passionate about bringing our fans a consistent winner on the field year after year.”

“Our baseball operations group, from scouting and player development to the major league team, is in good hands with CY at the helm for many years to come. I look forward to continuing our collaboration.”

Davis declined to comment further on the situation. He has maintained since the beginning of the season that a contract extension for Young was just a formality that they would have to sit down and negotiate the matter. He never intended to let Young's contract expire.

Young, who flew to Japan to watch Japanese pitcher Rōki Sasaki, said in a press release: “The Texas Rangers organization holds a very special place for me and I look forward to building on what we have started here.

“While the opportunity to be part of a World Series championship in my hometown was an incredible thrill, our goal is to field a club that can compete for playoff spots every season. I am grateful to Ray Davis for the trust he has placed in me, and I am confident we will succeed in that mission. Our fans deserve nothing less.”

In 2023, Young became the first former major league player since Kenny Williams of the Chicago White Sox in 2005 to win the World Series in a baseball operations executive role. He also became the first person since Johnny Murphy to win World Series titles as both a player (Kansas City in 2015) and GM/baseball operations chief. Murphy pitched on seven championship teams with the New York Yankees (1932, 1936-39, 1941, 1943) and won the Fall Classic as general manager with the New York Mets in 1969.

For more Rangers coverage from the Dallas Morning News, click here.