ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Monday that a report that team ownership pressured him into trading for starting pitcher Matt Garza is a fallacy.
Garza, a free agent at the end of the season, was acquired for four prospects on July 23. He is 4-5 with a 4.56 ERA in 12 starts, but delivered in an important start Saturday at Kansas City, allowing a run in eight innings.
"It's not accurate," Daniels said of the Yahoo! Sports report. "The last thing I'm looking to do is see any sort of wedges driven or anything like that. It's just not accurate. Ownership has been as supportive as they possibly can be. They want to win, but they've never forced our hand on any move. I'm really fortunate.
"I'm not saying that because they pay my paychecks. It's the truth. They haven't forced us to do anything or pressured or anything like that. They've been as supportive as any ownership team or ownership group in the sport."
The Rangers had long coveted Garza going back to his days with Tampa Bay and were the runner-ups when the right-hander signed with the Chicago Cubs before the 2011 season.
Garza was also on the Rangers' list of potential trade acquisitions last season, but he suffered an elbow injury in late July and ended up missing the last two months of the season.
Daniels also was asked if the club has decided if it will bring in suspended outfielder Nelson Cruz if they make the playoffs. Cruz, who is missing the last 50 games of the regular season because of his involvement in the Miami-based Biogenesis Clinic scandal, is currently working out at the club's spring training facility in Surprise, Ariz., while instructional leagues are going on.
Daniels said the club's focus is on beating the Houston Astros on Monday night, not Cruz.
"I don't see anyone else talking about playoff rosters," Daniels said. "If we clinch, we'll talk about it."