Earlier this month, we learned that the Rangers delayed the inevitable contract extension for their GM, Jon Daniels, because of their busy off season.

Now that the Rangers are done shopping, team president, Nolan Ryan, said he’s putting a contract extension for Daniels at the top of the club’s priority list, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.

Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated adds that team’s officials are optimistic about Daniels’ extension.

“I would expect that something will be done before spring training,” Ryan said. “If he had not been on vacation these last 10 days, we might be much further along. It’s going to be a priority for us for the next couple of weeks.”

Daniels turned down the opportunity to leave the organization at the end of last season.  He was a likely candidate for the New York Mets’ opening before it went to Sandy Alderson.

It’s clear that Daniels wants to remain in Texas to be in charge of the baseball operations department that he restructured since being promoted by then-owner Tom Hicks at the end of the 2005 season.