As anticipated, Chan Ho Park signed with the Texas Rangers on Saturday. Improving their pitching staff has been the Rangers' top priority this off-season, and Park was the pick of this year's free agent pitching litter.

Scott Boras, Park's agent, negotiated a 5-year deal for the righty, but there seems to be some confusion among the reports as to the exact total of the contract. It includes an option that would allow Park to become a free agent after the 2002 season, but Texas can override that option with an additional five to six million-dollar payment. What is not clear is if that is on top of a 2002 base salary of $11M or only $5M-$6M. Everyone seems to agree on the numbers after 2002. Park will receive $12M in 2003, $13M in 2004, $14M in 2005, and $15M in 2006 if he stays with Texas.

It is an expensive contract regardless of his actual 2002 salary. (I will include an update in a later article as soon as I determine which version is accurate.) A number of the players on the Rangers' offense, including A-Rod, Rafael Palmeiro, and Carl Everett have agreed to defer money from their own contracts in order to facilitate this improvement to the pitching. After last season, the team is well aware that they will need balance to be successful. These deferments might mean that Texas will bring in one more starter in addition to Park.

Park automatically becomes the Rangers' #1, and gives them an ace to anchor the rotation. His numbers will probably drop off a bit from those he has posted with LA because of the move from the pitchers' paradise of Dodger Stadiums to the Ballpark built for offense at Arlington. However, the salary deferments made to bring him to Texas won't be the biggest assist Park receives from the offense. The Rangers should be able to back the righty up with one of the best lineups in baseball, and if he doesn't understand the value of that contribution, he should have a heart to heart with Randy Johnson. If Park adjusts well to his new home field and the Rangers stay healthy, next year could be the start of a run of 20 plus win seasons for the pitcher.

Other Player News

On Monday, the St. Louis Cardinals re-signed arbitration eligible Garrett Stephenson to a one-year deal. Stephenson had Tommy John surgery late last April, so he really shouldn't be anywhere close to 100% before the All-Star break. The recovery time for this surgery has dramatically decreased in the last few years but still seems to have plateaued between twelve and eighteen months. Stephenson may break camp with the club, but I wouldn't expect him to pitch well for several months. It is likely he will have an off year and then bounce back strong in 2003 when he is fully healthy.

The Cardinals also re-signed arbitration eligible IF Miguel Cairo to a one-year deal. Poor roster management on the part of the Chicago Cubs allowed St. Louis to snatch Cairo off waivers last August. He served as a moderately useful pinch-hitter and is defensively capable of playing 2B, 3B, and an emergency SS. Given LaRussa's managerial tendencies, the departure of free agent Craig Paquette could lead to a sizeable role for Cairo in 2002.

Matsato Yoshii signed a one-year deal with Montreal on Friday. This signing and that of OF Mark Smith were big news, because the team has been a passive bystander for most of the off-season in anticipation of contraction. Both players would have likely otherwise been non-tendered to avoid any risk of arbitration-induced raises.

There shouldn't be any change in Yoshii's role from last season. He will pitch out of the bullpen and spot start in case of injury. At 37, he's approaching retirement and has never been anything spectacular, but his versatility does allow the club some flexibility with the rest of the pitching staff.

Smith signed a minor league deal and is not even on the Expos' 40-man roster. He received close to 200 AB last year with the major league club despite a history of little offensive production. Montreal has added no one else, so I would expect him to receive just as many if not more AB this year unless they decide to actually play their prospects instead of letting Brad Wilkerson rot on the bench.

Darrell May, who has been pitching in Japan for the last four years, signed with Kansas City on Monday. May's first run through the majors was less than spectacular, however his stretch in Japan has supposedly given him time to refine his skills. The lefty reportedly throws three pitches for strikes, and his Japanese strikeout totals appear impressive, but I don't want to jump on the bandwagon until I see some data on his BB and/or H. He could find a job at the bottom of the rotation, but the Royals already have a number of prospects competing for the 5th slot. I would expect him to make the team as a lefty middle reliever.

In keeping with today's pattern, Kansas City also re-signed OF Raul Ibanez. He will earn $800,000 under the deal completed on Monday. As I mentioned on Thursday, Ibanez will likely be a backup outfielder for the Royals next season, and given the level of competition, there would probably have to be an injury for him to accrue as many AB as he received last season.

Last but not least, for what seems like our daily Red Sox bulletin, Boston re-signed C Steve Lomasney to a minor league deal on Saturday. Lomasney was one of the six players non-tendered by the Sox on Thursday, and I had more reservations about that move than any other. However, he was out of options and would have had to pass through waivers for Boston to send him down in the spring. Because he signed the minor league deal as a free agent, they will be able to send him back to AAA without worrying about losing him to another team, making this a smart more in retrospect. Lomasney is first in line for playing time if either Jason Varitek or Doug Mirabelli goes down.

Tomorrow, we will have GM holiday wish lists.