FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Texas outfielder Rusty Greer, a .307 career hitter and the Rangers’ new leadoff batter, agreed Saturday to a $21.8 million, three-year contract extension.
With performance-based incentives, Greer could earn as much as $29 million from 2002-04. There is a mutual option for 2005, which if exercised would raise the total to as much as $36 million.
“It feels good. It puts a lot of things to rest,” Greer said. “The biggest thing is to stay in a Texas Rangers’ uniform. That’s what I intended to do. It puts my mind at ease. It gets me back to what I do best.”
Greer gets $4.5 million this season. The new deal calls for $6.8 million in 2002, $7 million in 2003 and $7.4 million in 2004. The option carries a minimum buyout of $600,000, which could rise to $1.5 million, depending on performance.
Before a series of injuries last season limited Greer to 105 games, the fewest since his rookie season of 1994, he primarily was the No. 3 hitter for Texas. He averaged 106 runs scored, 99 RBIs and 20 home runs from 1996-99.
General manager Doug Melvin said the Rangers are confident that Greer, 32, is healthy.
“We’re excited about what he did in the offseason, his conditioning, and he took that step to put himself in the best shape of his career,” Melvin said. “That gave us more incentive that he made that commitment. He may end up having a career where he stays a Ranger.”
Greer strained his left hamstring in the second week last season and went on the disabled list for the first time in his career. During that six weeks away, he also had surgery to remove bone spurs from his right ankle.
After a slow start back, Greer recovered and finished with a .297 average — just short of his fifth straight .300 season — with 65 RBIs and 65 runs. Then he missed the last nine games because of a muscle inflammation on the bottom of both feet.
Greer dropped almost 20 pounds, from his weight of about 195 pounds last season, during offseason workouts. In addition to being in great shape, he has had no problems this spring with the injuries that bothered him last season.
While he may not be the prototypical leadoff hitter — with just 29 career stolen bases — Greer gets on base and scores runs. He became the most obvious leadoff hitter when the Rangers added Alex Rodriguez, Andres Galarraga and Ken Caminiti to a lineup that already included Ivan Rodriguez and Rafael Palmeiro.
Greer’s .307 average is the 11th-best among active players, and his .392 on base percentage is 17th-highest among active players.
All 981 of his career games have been with the Rangers, who picked him in the 10th round of the 1990 amateur draft.