TEXAS RANGERS ANNOUNCE FRONT OFFICE PROMOTIONS
The Texas Rangers announced three executive promotions Jan. 22, moving Senior Vice President, Operations and Events Sean Decker to Executive Vice President, Sports and Entertainment.
Vice President, Controller Starr Gulledge has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Finance, and Vice President, Ballpark Operations and Guest Services Mike Healy has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Venue Operations and Guest Experience.
Decker oversees the continued growth and expansion of the Rangers’ events and entertainment businesses at both Globe Life Field and Globe Life Park in Arlington Park, leads the team’s retail and authentics Department and is responsible for the oversight of the two Minor League teams owned by the Rangers in Hickory and Kinston, North Carolina, the Ranger said in a news release.
Decker joined the club in 2010 and has served in several roles including senior account executive, suite sales and director of sales, assistant vice president of rangers enterprises, and vice president, ballpark operations.
Gulledge is in her 23rd season in the Rangers’ finance and accounting department after joining the organization in June 1997. Gulledge oversees all accounting and finance operations for the organization, including the construction of Globe Life Field, the Rangers Dominican Academy, the Spring Training complex in Surprise, Arizona, and Rangers’ minor league affiliates in Kinston and Hickory.
Healy oversees the management of facilities, guest services, security, grounds, and parking operations for both the new Globe Life Field and the reconfigured Globe Life Park in Arlington. Healy joined the Rangers in January 2019 after 13 years as vice president, park operations for the Detroit Tigers and Comerica Park.
The Rangers also officially announced the signing of free agent right-handed pitcher Juan Nicasio to a 2020 minor league contract. The 33-year-old Nicasio went 2-3 with one save and a 4.75 ERA (25 ER/47.1 IP) over 47 relief appearances for Philadelphia in 2019, when he missed time on the injured list with a left groin strain (July 4-15) and right shoulder tendinitis (8/24-9/23).
He has made a team’s opening day roster for eight consecutive seasons since 2012, and has posted five straight seasons of at least 45 appearances. The former starter has a 40-46 record with a 4.64 ERA over 362 games/82 starts in the majors with Colorado (2011-14), Los Angeles-NL (2015), Pittsburgh (2016-17), Philadelphia (2017, 2019), St. Louis (2017), and Seattle (2018).
The team also announced that left-handed pitcher Kyle Bird has been assigned outright to Triple-A Nashville. Bird was designated for assignment on Jan. 15.
He was on the Rangers’ 2019 opening day roster, and posted no record with a 7.82 ERA over 12 relief appearances spanning five stints with the club before being optioned for a final time on Aug. 1. He spent the balance of last season at Nashville. Bird was originally acquired from Tampa Bay in a three-team trade on Dec. 21, 2018.
Both Nicasio and Bird will be non-roster invitees in the Rangers’ Major League spring training camp, the team said.