Dayton Moore Says Job Is 'To Listen'

Dayton Moore’s job description, at least for now, is “to listen.”

The Texas Rangers hired Moore as a senior advisor to general manager Chris Young last week. The Dallas Morning News reported that while Young and other Rangers personnel will be in San Diego for the annual winter meetings — where a sizeable chunk of player transactions happen — Moore will actually be in Australia.

Moore’s son, Robert, is playing in the Australian Baseball League while on break from being a minor league player in the Milwaukee system.

But Moore told the Morning News his phone line is open.

“I’m going to be available every time Chris needs me,” Moore said. “Unless I’m talking to my wife or children, my phone will always be open. My job is to listen.”

How Moore’s role might further develop is up in the air. After all, Moore has been on the job less than a week and is coming off a job that he held for more than a decade, which is where he and Young met.

Moore became the general manager of the Kansas City Royals in 2006. During that time, he built the Royals into one of the best organizations in baseball, helping the club to the 2014 World Series and winning the 2015 World Series. He eventually became the president of baseball operations. Young, who spent more than a decade as a Major League pitcher, played his final few seasons for the Royals and was a part of that 2015 team.

New Royals owner John Sherman fired Moore in September. That was a month after the Rangers dismissed both manager Chris Woodward and president of baseball operations Jon Daniels. The Rangers have since hired Bruce Bochy, a three-time World Series champion, as manager. Young will serve as the general manager and oversee baseball operations.

Before Kansas City, Moore worked his way through the Atlanta organization from 1994-2006, during which Atlanta won the 1995 World Series and made two other Fall Classic appearances. Moore learned from two Hall of Famers — manager Bobby Cox and general manager John Schuerholz. He eventually became the team’s assistant general manager.