Rangers general manager Jon Daniels recently went on 105.3 FM-The Fan's Ben & Skin Show. Here are some highlights.

On the role Michael Young played in bringing Ian Desmond to the Rangers this past offseason:

Daniels: "It was big. Michael brought him up as a potential trade target actually last summer. We didn't have an open spot at shortstop, just talking about a winning piece, right-hand hitter, athlete. Michael was talking about him just from the standpoint that when he played against him, he kind of made a mental note -- 'I like how this guy plays, attacks the game and the intensity and he really could fit in with us.' So this winter we had approached them early. At the time it didn't line up -- moving positions and everything. But Michael was a big piece of the recruiting process there. Michael and actually Mark DeRosa. Mark had played with him and was able to sell him on how good of an environment this is -- Dezzy has three young boys and how good we are about the family element and enjoying it and all that."

On if the team has approached Desmond about an extension:

Daniels: "I prefer not to talk about specifics or whether we have or negotiations. The only thing I really want to say is, absolutely love the guy. I love the fit on the club on and off the field. When he does something good and we win the game it's even better because he gets the postgame interview and it's like a how-to in to be a great teammate. To praise other people, and it's not fake. It's so sincere and it's so real. In addition to what he does on the field, I love some of the young guys coming up on this team, not only do they have Adrian (Beltre) to look up to. They have Dezzy as well. And obviously he's been hugely productive. We'd be crazy not to at least want him back. We just don't want it to be any sort of distraction. We're talking about Ian because he's arguably been the best player on the team in the first half. He's been such a huge part but we have other key contributors. We got a good thing going on in the clubhouse right now. These guys are singularly focused on winning. So there's that balance where I don't want it to be a distraction. That's why typically we haven't wanted to talk contract during the season."

On if the team has any arms in the farm system that can match the young bats that have performed well for the Rangers this season:

Daniels: "We're starting to close that gap with some of the guys in Frisco, the young starting group that's gotten to Frisco. Generally speaking, there's just more risk with pitching. When you're acquiring guys, whether it's in the draft or if you're on that side of the trade trading for young pitching just because arm injuries. Position players, they get hurt, they come back. Pitching, some guys don't."

On if the team is feeling gassed considering the recent results:

Daniels: "I don't think so. I think every team is in the same boat there. We've been on the road 20 of the last 26 days. But I think every team goes through that. I think that's just baseball. We've been playing overall very, very well. Last week or so we just haven't played as crisp. It's going to happen. It's the nature of the game. Nobody expected us to run away, win the division by 20 games. That doesn't happen -- that's not reality. The other teams in our division are good. All along we expected this to be a real battle all year long. We still expect just that."