T.R.’s Memoirs: A Rangers all-time free-agency review, with offseason floodgates about to open (Part II)

(AP photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Editor’s note: T.R. Sullivan covered the Texas Rangers over 32 years for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and MLB.com and is sharing his “memoirs” with this newsletter. In the second of this two-part installment, Sullivan looks back at three prominent Rangers free-agent pursuits: Cliff Lee, Adrian Beltre and Yu Darvish.
Rangers manager Ron Washington walked into locker room about four hours before a Friday night game against the Orioles and asked for everybody’s attention. General manager Jon Daniels stood next to him but let the manager do the talking.
“We just got Cliff Lee!” Washington told his team.
The room erupted in applause.
Wilson got 5 years.
Wilson was signed for 5 years, not 4. Also, I would say Alex Rodriguez hitting 156 homeruns with 395 RBI, 44 steals, and a 1.011 OPS was well worth 25 million, even at the time, for a shortstop. His value translates to 38 or so million, and Seager is getting 32.5.