Nolan Ryan and Jon Daniels have both been credited with turning the Rangers franchise around. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Nolan Ryan intends to wait and see how his new CEO title works out before deciding whether to leave the Texas Rangers, sources told Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News.

Ryan’s future with the Rangers came into question Monday when the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported sources saying the Hall of Fame pitcher was unhappy with the team’s announcement that general manager Jon Daniels was promoted to president of baseball operations, and that Rick George was promoted to president of business operations. Ryan’s CEO title remained, but sources also said Daniels now owned final say over all baseball decisions and George had final say over business decisions.

Grant wrote:

This seems to pass the legitimacy test. Ryan has done nothing impetuously. To leave now, would be the only way to potentially exit the Rangers in anything but a graceful manner. If he leaves within weeks of the announcement of this decision, there will be some perception that Ryan lost a “power play” and couldn’t work under a situation that he had some initial discomfort with.

Ryan has been credited, along with Daniels for a Rangers front office that has produced back-to- back World Series appearances (2010, 2011), three straight 90-win seasons and a top-ranked farm system. Ryan has not commented since the announcement. Daniels said Tuesday he hopes Ryan stays with the team.

“I think once Nolan chooses to address this publicly I would assume that’ll get addressed and figured out,” Daniels said Tuesday on 103.3’s Fitzsimmons and Durrett show [KESN-FM]. “I think our relationship is good. It’s a good working relationship. We respect each other. We have similar values as people, as humans, as fathers, husbands, etc. We believe in treating people well.

“I’ve learned a lot from him. Hopefully that’s mutual on some level. We’ve had a lot of success working together, and I want to continue that.”

Bob Simpson, one of the Rangers’ two majority owners, is considered a Ryan ally. He denied that he and Ray Davis had stripped Nolan of power.

“My definition of CEO is it’s the person in charge,” Simpson said. “Nolan Ryan will still make the anything-of-significance decisions and bring those to the owners for approval. I say significant decisions because we wanted to remove some of the day-to-day stuff from Nolan.

“Nolan is a treasure for us. His wisdom and his counsel are invaluable. And if anyone in his camp has taken these latest moves the wrong way, then that needs to be addressed.”

Rangers president Nolan Ryan thinks Josh Hamilton’s struggles come from not being selective enough at the plate. (Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

After a scorching hot start, Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton has been in a slump for nearly two months.

Team president Nolan Ryan said Tuesday on 103.3 KESN-FM that Hamilton’s lack of patience at the plate isn’t helping his struggles.

“I think we’re all seeing the same thing,” Ryan said, via The Dallas Morning News. “You’re right that some of his at-bats aren’t very impressive from the standpoint that he doesn’t work deep into the count. He’s swinging at a lot of bad pitches. He just doesn’t seem to be locked in at all.

“So what you’re hoping is that his approach will change, and he’ll start giving quality at-bats because there’s a lot of those at-bats that he just gives away. One of the things I’ve always commented on is I can’t ever say that I ever saw Henry Aaron give an at-bat away.”

At the end of May, Hamilton had 21 home runs and an on-base percentage of .420. But since then, he has hit only seven more home runs, and his OBP is only .238.

“I just don’t know where Josh is,” Ryan said. “Sometimes hitters just get out of sync and it takes them awhile to get their rhythm back and get their swing back. Right now, you can’t say, ‘Well, it looks like something with his swing.’ He’s just not being selective and dug himself a hole that he needs to get out of.”

The Texas Rangers are working to hammer out a contract extension for superstar slugger Josh Hamilton, but they admit their odds aren’t good. Team president Nolan Ryan says he expects Hamilton to become a free agent at the end of this season, according to MLB.com.

“It’s hard to predict what will happen, things just have to play out,” Ryan said. “I think Josh would like to stay in Arlington, he’s very comfortable here and his family is very comfortable here. We’re certainly hoping we can work a deal out.

“I think they’re probably of the mindset to go through the season, see what happens and see what the market is.”

Hamilton, 30, is currently playing out the second year of a two-year contract in Texas. He’s making $13.75 million this season — he’s likely earning himself a huge raise with an MVP-caliber year so far in 2012. Hamilton leads the American League in batting average (.399), on-base percentage (.452), slugging percentage (.826), home runs (18) and runs batted in (45).

While his contract situation remains a giant issue for the Rangers, Hamilton insists that off-field matters won’t distract him from producing on the field for the rest of this season.

“No, not at all,” he said. “Even if I wasn’t having a good year, I wouldn’t be worried about free agency. I’m under contract to the Rangers. God will have me where he wants me next year, whether it’s [with the Rangers] or somewhere else.”