For where the Rangers were in their development, it was an important choice. Washington stressed fundamentals, especially on defense. He sought out a versatile offense. It took time for the club to figure out how to get there, but Washington was patient.

So was Daniels. When the club got off to a slow start in 2008, Washington didn't panic even though there were some who thought he wasn't going to make it to the All-Star break. The club started winning and Washington has never looked back.

Washington has grown with the club and the result is a team that stays loose but plays extremely hard for him.

"We loved the energy, the passion, the 24/7 positive mentality. But more than that, he fit what we were about," Daniels said. "He was excited about having the ability to teach, continue the development at the big-league level. He wanted players with upside and ability and understood there was a process.

"When you're talking about the backbone of the organization being scouts and player development, it's huge for them to hear the manager is on the same page. It was a perfect fit for us."

Daniels and his staff analyzed the club from top to bottom and knew that scouting and development held the key to future success. The farm system wasn't full of solid prospects and Daniels felt, with a budget that wasn't going to compete with Boston's or New York's, that the only way to get ahead was to do a better job scouting players and building the minor leagues.

So, in May 2007, Daniels told Hicks that the club had to "take a step back before taking a step forward."

He made a detailed presentation to Hicks and convinced the owner that for the long-term health of the organization, the club had to rebuild the minor leagues. That meant being willing to trade some of its current stars.

"The easy part is saying we're going to build from within and invest in the infrastructure," Daniels said. "The hard part is sticking to it when the sky is falling, when you've got to trade a popular big-league player, when you're getting kicked at the big-league level. It made the decision-making process easier. It was such a clear direction, clear plan, it was easy to say, 'That fits the plan or it doesn't.' That eliminated the forks in the road."

Hicks signed off on the plan, allowing Daniels to allocate more funds toward scouting and development in the Dominican Republic. Not long after that, the club opened a Pacific Rim operation and kept hiring more scouts so that they were fully armed and ready on both the amateur side with the draft and the professional side with trade possibilities.

Mark Teixeira brings back a bounty

The Rangers knew the biggest trading piece they had was Mark Teixeira, who presented the club with a unique opportunity. The first baseman had 1 1/2 years left on his contract as the trade deadline approached in 2007. Daniels knew that to get maximum value, he needed to strike a deal to a contending club and sell them on the fact that they'd get Teixeira for two pennant runs, not just one.

"It was a big moment for us," Daniels said.

The GM found a willing organization in the Atlanta Braves, searching for a big bat to help them make a postseason run. Daniels and his staff scoured the Braves' farm system and decided they'd rather try to grab lower-level prospects with higher ceilings than players closer to the major leagues.

The headliner in the deal was catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but Daniels was more concerned with some of the minor leaguers he picked up in rookie ball or Class A. Two in particular: Elvis Andrus and Neftali Feliz.

Shortstop Elvis Andrus and pitcher Neftali Feliz were two of the young pieces acquired for Mark Teixeira. AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

Andrus, then 18, showed great promise defensively and had tremendous speed, but he wasn't hitting the ball well in Class A. Feliz, 19, had the triple-digit fastball but lacked consistent control. That's just what you'd expect from teenage players. The club believed when the trade was made that both had a chance to become stalwarts on a contending team. But they were raw and relatively unknown then.

The Rangers also took a chance on Matt Harrison, despite some concerns about his throwing shoulder.

"The things we had put in place came together -- how we structured the scouting department by putting the international, amateur and professional scouts together -- and that we were willing to take some risk and grab players with upside," Daniels said. "I'm not sure we would have picked the players we did if we all weren't together and constantly sharing information. We had a background on each player. We didn't want safe, generic guys. We were willing to take guys that would require some patience and development."

Less than two years later, Andrus was starting at shortstop after Michael Young moved to third and Harrison was in the rotation on Opening Day. Andrus has stayed at shortstop ever since and Harrison battled injury issues and struggles until sticking in the rotation for good in 2011.

Feliz got a taste of the majors in 2009 and was AL Rookie of the Year in 2010 after what was then a rookie-record 40 saves. He comes to spring training this year as a member of the starting rotation.

The Teixeira trade was big, but the Rangers made other deals to help stock the minor leagues and improve the big league club that same year. An important move was trading Eric Gagne to the Red Sox for Engel Beltre and David Murphy.

Trading for Josh Hamilton

Rangers scouts who said Josh Hamilton had the potential to win an MVP were proven correct. AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

It was not an easy call to swap Edinson Volquez, a top-ranked pitching prospect, for Josh Hamilton prior to the 2008 season. But as Daniels and his staff discussed the possibility of making the trade with the Cincinnati Reds, several of the club's scouts and front-office folks kept coming back to one thing: Hamilton was an impact player at the plate and in the field.

"I remember some of the guys in the room saying he had a chance to win the MVP," Daniels said. "We weren't counting on that, but we felt he had that kind of talent and we were willing to take the chance."

They did, despite not having a bunch of major league-ready pitching prospects at the time.

"People talk about drafting for need," Daniels said. "I think it fits in the same boat. You don't draft a certain position and bypass the better player. We needed pitching, but we needed star-level talent and impact-level talent."

Hamilton won the MVP in 2010 and has become a centerpiece in the middle of the lineup.

Nolan Ryan becomes president

Just before spring training began in 2008, Hicks hired Ryan as president of the club. The Hall of Famer would oversee Daniels and the baseball staff but also have a hand in how the club's business was run. Ryan's extensive experience in owning minor league teams and his success on the field gave him instant credibility with fans and players.

Ryan didn't come in and make a bunch of changes right away. He observed and then made certain moves he thought necessary. But one thing he made clear was that it was time for pitchers to give the club an extra out or an additional inning. He didn't want coaches or players overly concerned with pitch counts. He wanted pitchers to understand the amount of work it took to start and to push themselves to not only have success and pitch deeper, but to stay healthy.

The approach has certainly paid dividends as the club has developed some solid pitchers in recent years and has seen its starters have the stamina to go deeper into games.

But more than the pitching philosophy, Ryan gives the baseball operations staff an experienced voice that's been around the game for a lifetime.

He has supported Daniels' plan to rebuild the Rangers and is now the CEO as one of the team's owners. He's the conduit between the ownership group and the club and one of the main faces of the organization.