Rangers to Hire Michaelene Courtis: Report

The Texas Rangers are hiring the highest-ranking woman in team history to the baseball operations staff.

The Texas Rangers are preparing to hire Michaelene Courtis away from the San Diego Padres in a move that would make her the highest-ranking woman to serve in the club's baseball operations.

The Dallas Morning News reported the impending move on Sunday night from Major League Baseball’s winter meetings in San Diego.

The Rangers have not officially announced the move. The Morning News noted that it’s not clear what Courtis’ title will be. She is currently the director of baseball administration and special assistant to Padres general manager AJ Preller.

Preller was once the assistant general manager for the Rangers under former president of baseball operations Jon Daniels, who was fired earlier this year.

It’s the latest move this offseason by the Rangers, who are coming off their sixth straight losing season. Chris Young took over baseball operations after Daniels left. The Rangers fired manager Chris Woodward in August and installed Tony Beasley as the interim manager. Bruce Bochy was hired in October as manager. Bochy won three World Series titles leading the San Francisco Giants.

The Rangers kept the coaching staff largely intact but did re-hire pitching coach Mike Maddux in November. Maddux served as Rangers pitching coach from 2009-15. The Rangers also hired former Royals president of baseball operations Dayton Moore as a special advisor.

Young and other Rangers staffers are in San Diego for the next few days for the annual Winter Meetings. The Rangers have already made a splash in free agency by signing pitcher Jacob deGrom to a five-year contract last week.

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