Texas will have at least one veteran behind Chan Ho Park in their rotation. John Thomson signed a one-year, $1.3M contract with the Rangers early in January. Thomson was born in Mississippi, went to college in Texas, and lives in Louisiana, so he should be happy with the location.

I think the Rangers have chosen well. Thomson won't have the opportunity to post the pretty numbers he might have compiled in a pitchers' park, but he's proven that he's capable of handling himself in a hitter-friendly environment. I expect him to give Texas a strong season.

The Rangers also signed Aaron Fultz to a one-year, $600,000 contract. I can't say I'm pleased they added another guy to the pen, but they really did need a left-handed reliever. Fultz's 2002 season wasn't quite up to the standards of his first two seasons in the majors. However, he was excellent after the All-Star break so I expect a full rebound in 2003. The club should receive the 29-year-old's best stuff at a discount price, which is always nice.

Texas signed another handful of players to minor league deals, including 3B-R Cole Liniak, C-S Chad Kreuter, and OF-L Jim Rushford. Boston drafted Liniak out of high school in the 7th round of the 1995 draft and traded him with Mark Guthrie to the Cubs for Rod Beck in 1999. Chicago then sent him to Toronto for Chris Weekly. A free agent last off-season, the 26-year-old signed with an independent team. Mid-way through the year, Texas purchased his contract and sent him to their A+ club at Charlotte in the Florida State League. Liniak showed another flash of promising plate discipline with the independent team and played some shortstop, though he's traditionally a third baseman. However, most of his power seems to have disappeared and his strike zone judgment falter again on re-joining an MLB affiliated organization. Given Texas' considerable depth at third, I don't expect Liniak to approach the majors in 2003 or the Rangers to retain him past this year.

While Kreuter signed a minor league deal, he'll reportedly receive $750,000 if he makes the team. The Rangers stated when they signed Todd Greene that they intended to find him some competition in Spring Training for the back-up catching job, and it looks as though they could have a tight race. Ken Daley of the Dallas Morning News reports that Kreuter has a strong relationship with Chan Ho Park and caught "431 of Park's final 460 innings as a Dodger in 2000-01." Texas will want to nurture Park as much as possible given his high salary and the uncertainty in most of the rest of the rotation. Conversely, Greene offers the team power and is 7 years younger than the 38-year-old Kreuter. The Rangers drafted Krueter out of Pepperdine University in the 5th round of the 1985 draft and he spent the first four seasons of his 15-season major league career with them. Given his age, he may very well choose to end his career where he began it.

After leaving San Diego State University, Rushford signed with Schaumburg in the independent Northern League in 1996. He then took two years off before returning to the Northern League for two seasons. Milwaukee signed him prior to the 2001 season, and he worked his way rapidly through their system, while demonstrating good plate discipline and promising power potential. Rushford hit .316 with a .391 OBP and 464 SLG on 128 H, 33 2B, 3 3B, and 7 HR with a 45:41 BB:K and 0/2 SB% in 405 AAA AB, earning a September call-up. Although the 28-year-old didn't shine in that cup-of-coffee, I'm still quite surprised that the Brewers didn't retain him. I don't see a big opening for him on the Rangers, but he could post some impressive power numbers in limited playing time at the Ballpark at Arlington, and their outfield is full of potential injury openings.

Meanwhile the Mets, who were responsible for putting Thomson on the free agent market, signed Rey Sanchez to a one-year, $1.3M contract before the end of 2002. Sanchez can reportedly earn up to $700,000 more in playing time incentives. Despite the fact that the 35-year-old's batting averages really aren't supported by his plate discipline, I like this signing, if only because it should prevent the Mets from rushing Jose Reyes. Reyes also incurred a strained hamstring while playing winter ball, which would have slowed him if he were still gunning for the starting shortstop position out of Spring Training.

Tsuyoshi Shinjo will return to New York for the 2003 season. The Mets signed Shinjo to a one-year, $600,000 contract this week. New York was Shinjo's first MLB team, as they signed him out of Japan prior to the 2001 season. The 30-year-old reportedly can earn another $400,000 in plate appearance based incentives. Shinjo will play the outfield off the bench with his playing time largely dependent upon whether the Mets are able to deal an outfielder this off-season.

I think New York has likely made a mistake with this signing, as they had plenty of outfield talent before acquiring Shinjo. Additionally, his 2002 performance seems much more in line with his skills than the numbers he put up in his rookie year, so the Mets will probably be disappointed in his offense.

The Mets grabbed LHP Pete Zamora off waivers from the Phillies in mid-December. LA drafted Zamora out of UCLA in the 20th round of the 1997 draft, but Philadelphia nabbed him in the minor league portion of the 1999 Rule 5 draft. In his second season at AAA, Zamora compiled a 32:29 K:BB with 63 H and 2 HR allowed in 62 IP for a 3.48 ERA. His control obviously needs to improve and he faces considerable competition in the Mets system, but the 27-year-old has potential.