Lance Berkman "Big Puma" lands back in Texas

Free agent 1B/OF Lance Berkman and the Texas Rangers have agreed to a one-year deal, worth $10 million, the deal includes a vesting option for the 2014 season, that's if Berkman reaches 550 plate appearances. The deal also includes a $1 million buyout. So, the deal could end up being worth a total of $11 million. Berkman was born in Waco, Texas and later played college baseball for Rice University in Houston. The Houston Astros would end up drafting Berkman in the 1997 MLB draft in the first round, overall he was pick number sixteen. He spent eleven and a half seasons on the Astros, before being traded to the New York Yankees in July 2010 for third baseman Jimmy Paredes and relief pitcher Mark Melancon.

After leaving the Yankees, he would end up signing with the St. Louis Cardinals and would spend the 2011 season and the 2012 season on the Cardinals. In 2011, Berkman would win his first World Series in his MLB career and he won National League Comeback Player of the Year award in 2011, while hitting 301 with 31 home runs, and 94 rbi's. Berkman was hurt in 2012, only playing a career low 32 games. For Berkman he will become the Texas Rangers designated hitter, and at times play first base, and he'll turn 37-years old in February. So far for Lance Berkman's career he has a career batting average of 296, 360 home runs, 1,200 rbi's, and 1,843 hits. He's also been an All-Star six times in: 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2011. So, hopefully in 2013 Lance Berkman will be able to have another comeback season after being hurt, this time for the Texas Rangers. Berkman also will be in the Hall Of Fame someday in the future once he retires from the MLB, and gets his name on the Hall Of Fame ballot. I'm sure Berkman will be happy being close to home, and on a team that has a chance to win. There were other teams who were also after Berkman before he signed with the Rangers, those teams were the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, and the Houston Astros. Berkman is also one of the last two "Killer B's" still playing, the other is current Cardinals right-fielder Carlos Beltran. The others are now retired those were Craig Biggio, Derek Bell, and Jeff Bagwell. The nickname "Killer B's" were the Houston Astros nickname starting in the 1990's when they had Biggio, Bell, and Bagwell and then for part of the 2000's.