On Saturday, veteran hitter Lance Berkman signed a one-year, $10M contract with the Texas Rangers. Berkman, 37, joins the Rangers as a free agent after spending the past two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. He was injured for all but 32 games in 2012 (victim of two knee surgeries), but in 2011 posted an impressive .412 OBP, .547 SLG and 4.9 WAR to lead the Cardinals to a World Series victory. He split 2011 and 2012 between first base and right field, though neither position is Berkman’s strongest position – he’s a hitter through and through, as his career .409 OBP and .544 SLG attest.
The Rangers will employ Berkman as their designated hitter, taking the position from the recently departed Michael Young. The swap represents a potentially huge improvement in performance at the designated hitter position – Young compiled a -1.6 WAR in 2012, while Berkman, if healthy, if capable of massing a 3.0-5.0 WAR performance. Moving to the AL, Berkman will take advantage of the DH position, which should help keep him healthy. He’s a left-handed hitter with an outstanding plate approach; his 15% career BB% is built on the backs of a career 18% O-Swing% (% of pitches outside the strike zone Berkman swings at). In an impatient Ranger lineup that is heavy on right-handed batters, Berkman offers the perfect counter between righties Ian Kinsler and Adrian Beltre. In an offseason in which the Rangers have missed out on top pitching free agent Zack Greinke and lost start centerfielder Josh Hamilton, Berkman’s addition (alongside Young’s departure) offers some hope for the Rangers’’ 2013 improvement in the competitive AL West division.
Berkman’s 2013 contract includes an option for 2014 if he accumulates 550 plate appearances. The team option is a no-brainer – so long as Berkman can remain healthy, he’ll easily be worth the $10M annual salary. The Rangers have made an astute pickup, bringing Berkman back to Texas (born in Waco Texas and played nine seasons with the NL Houston Astros) on a short-term contract that pays him below-market for his anticipated performance, while avoiding any long term commitments that block their designated hitter position.