It came as somewhat of a surprise when the Washington Nationals released John Patterson last week, but it didn't take Patterson long to find a new home. After being unemployed for three whole days, the oft-injured starter agreed to a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers.The Texas Rangers have agreed on a minor league contract with former first-round pick John Patterson.The 30-year old former first round pick has missed most of the last two seasons thanks to pinched nerves in his forearms that just never seem to go away. Patterson had surgery in September to hopefully fix the problem, but it's going to take time to recover from it, and he realizes he's not going to be ready for the Majors by opening day so he has no problem accepting the minor league deal.
"It's a comfortable fit and I'm looking to getting out there and getting going," said Patterson, who was 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA in three spring starts for Washington. "I feel good. I've been working real hard, throwing a lot. I haven't had any problems."
Which is fine for the Rangers as well, because the Rangers can always use all the pitching they can get. They've already signed Sidney Ponson to a minor league deal this season, and are already dealing with annoying injuries to Brandon McCarthy, Kevin Millwood, and Vicente Padilla. If Patterson can manage to stay healthy, this could turn out to be a very good move for Texas.
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