The Texas Rangers announced Friday the appointment of Matt Blood as Director of Player Development. In addition, the club announced that Paul Kruger has been promoted to Director of Minor League Operations.
Blood, 33, joins the Texas organization from USA Baseball, where he has served for the last three years as Director of the 18 and Under National Team Program. Prior to that, he spent seven years as an area scout for the St. Louis Cardinals.
"Matt Blood will be an excellent addition the Rangers organization," said President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Jon Daniels. "He has extensive experience in coaching and player evaluation that will be a big asset as he oversees our player development operation.
"Paul Kruger's promotion to Director of Minor League Operations is well-deserved as his efforts on both the minor league and international operations side have been vital to the organization for a number of years. Working under Mike Daly, Matt and Paul give us strong leadership on the player development and minor league front."  
In his role at USA Baseball, which is based in Durham, NC, Blood served as the General Manager of the 18U National Team and is responsible for putting together the squad's coaching staff and roster. The undefeated 2017 18U National Team won the World Cup and included 10 players who were selected in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft.
Blood served as an amateur scout in the Southern states and then specifically in the Carolinas and Virginia in his seven years with the Cardinals. He is a 2007 graduate of the University of North Carolina where he was a scouting assistant for the Tar Heels baseball team before getting his start that summer as an amateur scouting intern for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Kruger has spent nine years with Texas, the last three as Assistant Director of Player Development. He has also served as Manager of Minor League Operations, Coordinator, Minor League and International Operations, and Assistant, International Operations in his tenure with the Rangers.
Blood will be transitioning to the Rangers over the next month while he completes his duties with USA Baseball's 18U National Team during the upcoming Pan-Am Championships in Panama later this month.