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Texas Rangers Inside Pitch

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Updated Dec 11, 2009 6:01 AM ET
     
 
Despite being one of the most cash-strapped organizations in baseball because of their ownership crisis, the Rangers were perhaps the most aggressive team at the winter meetings.

The Rangers turned right-hander Kevin Millwood's $12 million 2010 salary into three potential pieces for their pitching staff. They sent Millwood and $3 million to Baltimore for reliever Chris Ray and a player to be named, who turned out to be a Rule 5 draft selection, left-hander Ben Snyder. Then, with approximately $8 million in savings, the Rangers signed right-hander Rich Harden to a one-year deal worth at least $7.5 million in guaranteed money (it also includes an $11 million option for 2011).

Harden, 28, went 9-9 with a 4.09 ERA in 26 starts for the Chicago Cubs in 2009. He recorded 171 strikeouts in 141 innings, an average of 10.91 per nine innings, and he has led the majors in strikeouts per nine innings in each of the last two seasons among pitchers with at least 25 starts per year (11.01 in 2008). Harden had a 2.55 ERA over 12 starts after the All-Star break in 2009 and was 6-2 with a 2.00 ERA in 11 road starts for the Cubs.

He had 26 strikeouts over his first three starts (15 innings) for the Cubs this year. According to Elias Sports Bureau, no other pitcher in the modern era (beginning in 1900) had recorded that many strikeouts in so few innings over any three-start span in a single season.

Harden has averaged 9.35 strikeouts per nine innings since arriving in the major leagues in 2003, the highest figure among any major league pitcher in that span (minimum 125 starts). His .220 career batting average against is the second lowest among all big league pitchers since 2003, bettered by only left-hander Johan Santana (.219).

The risk on Harden, however, is his long history of injuries. He's made only 51 starts over the last three years and has had three different stints on the DL.

"We understand there is some risk involved," GM Jon Daniels said. "But when he's out there this is a guy with No. 1 ability. He's a stopper in every sense of the word."

Harden can earn an additional $2.5 million in incentive bonuses in 2010 and doesn't even need to reach 200 innings pitched to max out those bonuses. The bonuses top out at 195 innings. Harden has never reached 190 innings in a season and has pitched more than 150 innings only once in his career.
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