The Rangers became the fourth team in as many days to change scouting directors this week. Texas promoted scouting director Ron Hopkins into a role as a special assistant to general manager Jon Daniels, while A.J. Preller becomes Texas’ new top talent evaluator.

Preller, previously the team’s director of professional and international scouting, will now oversee the amateur scouting side as well. He’s been promoted to senior director of player personnel. Kip Fagg, previously the national crosschecker, becomes the new amateur scouting director, while Josh Boyd ascends to director of professional scouting (he was previously the assistant director).

Hopkins directed the Rangers’ last five drafts after succeeding Grady Fuson in July 2004. Preller, meanwhile, will be getting involved in the draft significantly for the first time. He’s made the Rangers a significant player in the international arena since joining the organization in November 2004. He brought Boyd, a former area scout with the Padres, into the organization in 2007 as his assistant in the professional scouting department.

Fagg, the new scouting director, spent the last three years as a national crosschecker and has 19 years of scouting with the Rangers on his resume, beginning as an area scout in 1991. He signed Rick Helling and Doug Davis, among others.

Boyd also of course was once BA’s national writer and official Prospect Maven before leaving the magazine in January 2004 to become a scout.