Jon Daniels has had some wins as a general manager (see the Mark Teixeira trade) and has also had some losses (see the Adrian Gonzalez trade and Chris Davis trade).
His big deadline deal last season was seen as a victory for the Texas Rangers, who were in need of a frontline-type starting pitcher to solidify their pitching rotation, and they got a guy in Matt Garza that seemingly should have done that. Like any trade for a big pitcher like Garza, Daniels had to give up some good, young players to get him.
Now, he admits the deal could end up haunting him down the road, as Garza is now pitching for the Milwaukee Brewers after two and a half months of mediocrity in Texas and the Rangers are without four prospects.
"I thought way too short term with the Garza deal last year," Daniels told the Arizona Republic. "That one's got a chance to haunt us and haunt me."
Garza had a 6-1 record and a 3.17 ERA with the Cubs in 2013 before the Rangers sent Mike Olt, C.J. Edwards, Justin Grimm and a player to be named later — Neil Ramirez — to the Cubs for Garza. He finished the season just 4-5 in Texas with an ERA of 4.38.
None of the former Rangers are expected to be in the Cubs' lineup to start the season, but Olt has tons of potential as a power-hitting third baseman and Edwards was the top pitching prospect in the Rangers' system at the time, while Grimm had taken a swim through the Rangers' rotation and Ramirez was ranked right behind Edwards.
