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DALLAS (Ticker) — One season after proving to himself and the Atlanta Braves that he could come back from cancer, Andres Galarraga will bring his big bat and tremendous clubhouse presence to the Texas Rangers.
The Rangers tonight agreed to terms with the free agent first baseman on a one-year deal and will use him and Rafael Palmeiro in a platoon and first base and designated hitter next season.
Galarraga, 39, sat out all of 1999 with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma but made an immediate impact upon his return in 2000, belting a homer in the season opener. He eventually helped the Braves to their ninth straight division title, finishing with 28 homers and 100 RBI in 141 games.
“Last year, he was the comeback player of the year,” Texas general manager Doug Melvin said. “His character and presence played a large role in us bringing him here.”
The 15-year veteran batted .302 and was elected to the All-Star team. Although Galarraga’s performance was inspiring, he clearly slowed down after July, hitting just eight homers and driving in only 38 runs. The decline may have been the reason the Braves did not offer the Venezuelan slugger arbitration, paving the way for the Rangers, who will not have to compensate Atlanta for the signing.
“I had a fractured thumb in my left hand,” Galarraga said. “I lost about 10 days and it’s difficult to play like that. Right now, I have more time to get ready and will be in great condition.”
This will mark Galarraga’s first stint in the American League after reaching the All-Star Game four times in the senior circuit. He has a .291 career average with 360 homers — 10th on the active list — and 1,272 RBI. He spent his first seven seasons in Montreal before playing in St. Louis in 1992.
“I’m happy and excited to go to the American League,” Galarraga said. “I played (at the Ballpark in Arlington during interleague play) and I did pretty good there.”
Galarraga flourished with the Colorado Rockies from 1993-97, winning a batting title in his first season and adding significant power to his always consistent bat. The 6-3, 235-pounder led the National League with 47 homers and 150 RBI in 1996, and in 1997, he again led the league in RBI.
He proved skeptics of his prodigious power wrong in his first season with Atlanta, batting .302 with 44 homers and 121 RBI.
Nicknamed the “Big Cat,” Galarraga captured Gold Glove Awards in 1989 and 1990. He has driven in at least 100 runs in each of the last five seasons he has played. A congenial personality both on the bench and in the clubhouse, Galarraga also is one of the most respected players in the game.
Still in the running for Alex Rodgriguez or Manny Ramirez, the Rangers added a potent bat to their lineup, which was deprived of 1999 Most Valuable Player Ivan Rodriguez for most of last season, and likely left room to continue pursuing a second-tier starter for their rotation.
Melvin disclosed that the Rangers were still courting Alex Rodriguez and are interested in third baseman Ken Caminiti.
Palmeiro, 36, is a lethal lefthanded-hitting complement to Galarraga and doubtlessly will benefit from the occasional extra rest provided by the still-capable first baseman.
“I think it’s a good idea,” Galarraga said of spelling Palmeiro. “He is a great first baseman. I think that (we are a) great combination. I don’t mind (being the designated hitter). I will probably miss (playing) first base every day. But one day, he’ll DH and I’ll play first base.”
The Rangers failed to win the American League West for the first time in three seasons last year, their first without slugging right fielder Juan Gonzalez, who also is a free agent.
“We filled one of our needs by adding a big bat,” Melvin said. “His potential for home runs and RBI was something we sorely missed last year.”
DALLAS (AP) — The Texas Rangers bolstered their lineup Friday, signing free agent first baseman Andres Galarraga to a $6.25 million, one-year contract.
“We’re happy to add a player of his caliber and character to the organization,” general manager Doug Melvin said. “It fills one of our needs. We were looking to add a bat with RBI and home run potential. We certainly missed that last year.”
The Rangers also have a $7 million club option for 2002, with a buyout of either $250,000 or $500,000, depending on his plate appearances.
The Big Cat, who was not offered salary arbitration by Atlanta, hit .302 with 28 homers and 100 RBIs last season for the Braves after missing all of 1999 because of a cancerous tumor in his back.
“I’m happy and excited,” he said. “I think it is a great organization and I look forward to playing with the Rangers. I’m excited about going to the American League.”
Galarraga, 39, saw his power numbers drop as the season progressed, hitting only eight home runs and driving in 38 runs after the All-Star break.
“He’s a professional hitter and in our ballpark he’s got a good chance to get back to his 40-homer years,” Melvin said.
He will likely be the designated hitter with the Rangers, who already have Rafael Palmeiro at first base.
“I think it is going to be a great combination with Rafael and me,” Galarraga said. “I’m just looking to help my team. I don’t mind at all being the designated hitter.”
In fact, the Rangers hope that limiting his time in the field will help Galarraga stay fresh down the stretch of the season.
“We think that will be good at this stage of his career,” Melvin said. “He doesn’t have to stand out there in that Texas heat. That may help him at this stage of his career to do a lot of DHing.”
The Rangers were looking for a short-term solution while they wait for top prospect Carlos Pena to be ready for the major leagues. Pena is expected to start the 2001 season at Triple-A.
“We know we have Pena coming along and Andres can be a good influence on Carlos,” Melvin said.
Galarraga just completed a $24.5 million, three-year deal with Atlanta.
In his 15-year career, Galarraga is a .291 hitter with 360 homers and 1,272 RBIs. He topped the 2,000-hit mark last season and has 2,070 for his career.
The Rangers, who are also talking to the agents for Alex Rodriguez and Ken Caminiti, have made bolstering their offense their top offseason priority.
Texas was ninth in the AL in runs scored last season, after trading away Juan Gonzalez and losing Todd Zeile to free agency.
“He will hit somewhere in the middle of our lineup and get us back to the run production we missed last year,” Melvin said.
Galarraga had expressed some interest in reuniting with former manager Don Baylor and playing for the Cubs. But it was not clear whether Chicago, which lost free agent Mark Grace to Arizona, had any interest.