Rangers sign Millwood

[LewP]

.

[football4life]

Well, this is one move that actually looks good right now, instead of these others that we have no idea how they will work out if at all. Good move Rangers, hopefully we can put together a nice run this year and give me a reason to watch the entire season, not just the first half.

[HighSchool Fan]

Millwood Agrees to Five-year Deal With Rangers
Dec 26, 8:01 PM (ET) Email this Story

By STEPHEN HAWKINS

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Free agent pitcher Kevin Millwood reached a preliminary agreement Monday on a $60 million, five-year contract with Texas, giving the Rangers the legitimate No. 1 starter they have been seeking.

Texas can void the fifth year of the deal if Millwood doesn't pitch a certain number of innings in earlier years of the contract. Millwood is expected to undergo a physical Tuesday in Texas, and the deal likely will be finalized Wednesday.

Details of the deal were disclosed by two people familiar with negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract had not been finalized. Millwood's decision to accept Texas' offer was first reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on its Web site.

Millwood was 9-11 with a 2.86 ERA that led the American League this year, his only season for Cleveland. The right-hander, who turned 31 Saturday, rejected a salary arbitration offer from the Indians.

Millwood, who also was sought by Boston, will be the No. 1 starter in a revamped Texas rotation, already bolstered by two trades this month. The Rangers got former All-Star right-hander Vicente Padilla from Philadelphia and acquired Adam Eaton from San Diego.

The only returning starters for Texas are Kameron Loe and Juan Dominguez. They ended the season in the rotation, Dominguez making only 10 starts and Loe eight.

In nine major league seasons, Millwood is 107-75 with a 3.76 ERA. He won at least 17 games in three of his six seasons with Atlanta (1997-2002) and was an All-Star in 1999. He pitched two seasons for Philadelphia before going to Cleveland last year.

Millwood's agent, Scott Boras, also negotiated big-money deals that brought Alex Rodriguez ($252 million, 10-year deal in December 2000) and Chan Ho Park to the Rangers. A-Rod and Park have since been traded.

Park signed a $65 million, five-year contract in December 2001 to be the Rangers' No. 1 starter. But he had five stints on the disabled list and was 22-23 with a 5.79 ERA in 64 starts before being traded to the Padres in July, with cash, for Phil Nevin.

After Park's failure, Rangers owner Tom Hicks said he wouldn't give any more five-year contracts to pitchers. When the pursuit of Millwood began, after Texas was spurned in its attempts to get Matt Morris and Josh Beckett, Hicks said he'd offer a fifth year only with certain protections included.

(AP) Free agent pitcher Kevin Millwood reached a preliminary agreement on a $60 million, five-year...
Full Image
Hicks didn't respond Monday night to an e-mail seeking comment. Rangers general manager Jon Daniels, who was out of town, didn't return messages left on his cell phone.

Millwood made $7 million last season in Cleveland. He had signed a one-year deal with the Indians after being bothered by elbow swelling that limited him to 25 starts for the Phillies in 2004. While Millwood was 9-6 with a 4.85 in his last season for Philadelphia, he won only two games after hurting his right elbow.

Texas' No. 1 starter last season was All-Star left-hander Kenny Rogers, another Boras client. He was 14-8 with a 3.46 ERA, but the Rangers didn't want the 41-year-old left-hander back after a videotaped tirade June 29 in which he shoved two television cameramen on the field.

Rogers, who has spent 12 of his 17 major league seasons during three stints in Texas, signed a $16 million, two-year deal with Detroit.

----=

[VWG]

I like the signing. All the stuff about Danks, Diamond, or Volquez making a huge impact in the majors is jumping the gun. Not one of those guys has really dominated AA. Let me see what they can do with a full or even a 1/2 year at AAA.
By signing a PROVEN starter with Eaton, Padilla, and now Millwood at least the Rangers are addressing their needs for this season.

[Macarthur]

this is awesome and even more so if it leads to signing Clements.

[gobbler grad]

THEY ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION...:thinking:

[S-WtrMustangFan]

Its about time they get some good pitchers.We can score some runs with big sticks, but we always let the other team catch up with poor pitching.

[kaorder1999]

he's been goog before on another team as just like any other rangers deal when he gets here he wont be very good!

[GreenMonster]

Millwood is no #1 pitcher. He's a solid #2 and a good #3 but not a #1. Rangers are lying to themselves once again. Kenny Rogers is closer to a #1 than Kevin Millwood ever will be. I like that they have signed him but hate that they try to deceive me by proclaiming him to be an Ace. Offer the Rocket some A-Rod $ over 2 years and get yourself a true Ace.

[Macarthur]

Originally posted by GreenMonster
Millwood is no #1 pitcher. He's a solid #2 and a good #3 but not a #1. Rangers are lying to themselves once again. Kenny Rogers is closer to a #1 than Kevin Millwood ever will be. I like that they have signed him but hate that they try to deceive me by proclaiming him to be an Ace. Offer the Rocket some A-Rod $ over 2 years and get yourself a true Ace.

While I agree with you that Millwood is no Clements, you have to agree, GM, that this offseason the Rangers (Daniels) have been very aggressive. And they have, in a very short period of time, totally transformed their starting rotation into, at the very least, a solid rotation. And with a little luck, they may have an above average rotation.

I am of the belief that all of this was a plan to lure Clements. Clements would not come here unless the Rangers showed that they wanted to win right now and that required totally revamping the rotation. Now, if you add Clements to the rotation, they instantly become a top 5 rotation in the AL (maybe higher).

I do have to disagree with your comment that Rogers is closer to a #1 than Millwood ever will be. Here are Millwood's career W/L & ERA:

TOTAL 107 75 3.76


rogers:

TOTAL 190 131 4.21

I agree that Millwood is not a top notch #1, but if you use Clements as a barometer, there are very few teams in MLB that can say they have an ace #1.

[3afan]

lets just hope he pans out ..........

[VWG]

Clemens.... not Clements

[Keith7]

Millwood will not overpower anybody, but is a solid number 1 pitcher... And with the other 2 pitchers the Rangers have gotten, the ranger's pitching staff is well improved.. and might just be the best in Texas right now

[3afan]

ha - no way is the Rangers staff as good as the Longhorns! ;)

[GreenMonster]

Hope he throws as well as last season

[big daddy russ]

Personally, I think I'd rather have four or five #2 or #3 pitchers than a true ace, a #2 guy, a #3 guy, a #4 guy and a #5 guy.