Summary Berkman and the Texas Rangers agreed to a one-year deal.
TEXAS: Baseball super star Lance Berkman and the Texas Rangers agreed to a one-year deal, which also comes with a vesting option for 2014. The player will get a $10 million salary plus a $1 million buyout this season.
Berkman, 36, had two surgeries on his right knee last season, forcing him to play only 32 games with the St. Louis Cardinals. Berkman hit .259 in 81 at-bats with two homers and seven RBIs.
“In a way they have to buy me out of retirement, and I know that sounds crass — I wish it didn’t — but it’s a big commitment, it can put a strain on the family,” Berkman said last week. “If I’m going to play, I’m going to give my heart and soul to the team. But if the carrot’s not big enough, the mule isn’t going to want to go.”
The Rangers would likely put Berkman in the designated hitter spot. In 13 MLB seasons, Berkman is a career 290 hitter with 360 home runs and 1,200 RBI.
