Texas Rangers designated hitter Lance Berkman has been connecting well enough to give his new team a big boost at bat this season as he prepares for likely retirement after the 2013 season. Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Lance Berkman threatened to retire in the off-season between 2012 and 2013, but it seems he made the right choice joining the Texas Rangers for what could be his last fling. He may be 37, but he can still make contact and produce big hits.

The Rangers needed to find another bat once they chose not to re-sign Josh Hamilton, and while neither Berkman nor Texas pretends he is the long-term solution it is shaping up that he was just the right answer for this year. With about 25 percent of the season completed, the Rangers are in first place in the American League West Division and Berkman has been a solid contributor.

In 35 games Berkman has hit just three home runs, but he has nine doubles and has driven in 21 runs, is batting .286 and has a .414 on-base percentage. Going into this weekend’s play the Rangers are 27-14 and lead the second-place Seattle Mariners by seven games.

A six-time All-Star, mostly with the Houston Astros, and then the St. Louis Cardinals, during his 15-year career Berkman has been a solid player, but not usually the No. 1 gun in a lineup. He is past his prime and not going to fill that role for Texas, either, but he still hits well enough to matter and to scare pitchers, and he has been very smart at the plate this season.

A left-handed hitter, Berkman has put together some excellent lifetime statistics while not having them be quite strong enough for serious Hall of Fame consideration. During this on-going, and perhaps last season for him, Berkman has 363 home runs, 1,221 RBIs, and a lifetime average of .295.

At his age, and with thoughts stretching ahead to retirement, Berkman was wise to continue his career with an American League team as a designated hitter. He is on the older side to patrol a lot of ground in the outfield, so this role is a natural for him. Although the nicknames probably get mentioned more often in the city where he is playing, besides his 220 pounds Berkman does carry around a couple of heavy duty nicknames: Big Puma and Fat Elvis.

Over the course of his career Berkman has driven in more than 100 runs six times and in 2002 he led the National League with 128 RBIs. His finest all-around work came in 2006 with the Astros. That season Berkman smashed 45 homers, drove in 136, and batted .315. His on-base percentage was .420 and his slugging percentage was .621.

Surely when the Rangers passed on reupping with Hamilton long-term there was a fear that there might not be enough pop in the Texas batting order. And even after the Rangers signed Berkman there had to be some questioning what his value was going to be. After all, Berkman was injured most of last season, playing in just 32 games with 97 plate appearances.

You have to believe that a guy who had a distinguished career would not want to retire on a note like that if he had regained his health. Well, Lance Berkman did get back to full strength, and even if this is his last hurrah, at the moment things are taking form for a much more satisfying departure. Being a contributor to a winner that has World Series potential is a lot more fun than languishing on the disabled list.

Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Berkman, 37, inspired enough confidence in the Rangers for them to give him a contract worth $10 million for the 2013 season with a $12 million team option for 2014, and neither side seems especially worried about rushing him into the early spring training action. The organization is, naturally, far more concerned with his availability at the start of the regular season.

If Berkman can indeed stay healthy this season, his recent work suggests he can still hit, and quite well at that. As recently as the 2011 season, he posted a robust .959 OPS in 145 games for the Cardinals, and still managed a respectable triple-slash line of .259/.381/.444 while fighting the knee issues last year. Evidence suggests Berkman is still extremely adept at getting on base at the very least, and the power numbers will certainly receive a boost from playing 81 games in the Rangers’ cozy stadium.

Considering the team can split Berkman’s time between first base and designated hitter, they have a far better chance than a National League team of keeping him fresh and productive. There’s of course no way to be certain with the lengthy injury history, but this is a deal that could really pay huge dividends for Texas if Berkman is handled carefully.

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First thing Berkman should do, if he hasn’t already, is send a thank-you note to Josh Hamilton for going to the Angels. Berkman will be banking Hamilton’s money. I’m thinking the Rangers must be crazy. Can Berkman run? Can Berkman walk (and I don’t mean get bases on balls)? My impression was that Berkman was planning on retiring not because he didn’t like baseball anymore, but because his body was kaput. (more…)

In an off-season that can only be classified as disappointing for the Rangers, Berkman represents a potentially solid addition, provided his knees can withstand the rigors of another season. Being used primarily at DH will certainly help ease the burden on the 35-year-old switch hitter.

Even with Berkman in the fold, the Rangers have work to do to finish building their roster. To this point, subtractions from their Wild Card team still far out-weigh additions. The Rangers have lost quite a few impact players, including both hitters and in the rotation. Berkman should effectively replace Michael Young at DH, but the Rangers hope his numbers wind up closer to those of the departed Josh Hamilton. Earlier in the Winter, Texas inked catcher A.J. Pierzynski to replace Mike Napoli, who is still expected to sign with the Red Sox.

Given that the Rangers missed out on seemingly every free agent and trade target they had when the Winter Meetings took place in Nashville in early December, one would hope they’ve not completed their agenda for the remainder of the off-season. Jon Heyman says not to worry, the Rangers could still be in play for many of the biggest names remaining on the market.

#rangers still looking for more after adding berkman. Bourn, upton, lohse could be in play.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) January 7, 2013

The Rangers still have plenty of money available and they remain interested in acquiring Justin Upton from the Diamondbacks. That said, if they weren’t willing to part with the kind of prospects Arizona was looking for in December, it’s unlikely that Rangers GM Jon Daniels suddenly has a change of heart. Multiple teams remain in conversations with the D-backs about Upton, so Texas is no sure thing to land the outfielder.

In Kyle Lohse, Texas would find the front-half-of-the-rotation starter they lost when Ryan Dempsterleft and that they missed out on when Zack Greinke signed with the Dodgers. Lohse isn’t as young as Greinke, but he’s been better over the past two seasons. Lohse has struggled to find suitors on the open market, in part because of the draft pick compensation attached to his free agency.

Bourn doesn’t bring power to the plate, but his speed and defense would change the Rangers for the better. Image: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

We’ve heard for a few weeks now that Michael Bourn could wind up in Texas if only because there is a fit in terms of money and roster space. The only other team that can offer the money and has a need for a center field bat is the Seattle Mariners (who are also in on Upton, but he has Seattle on his no-trade list). Bourn didn’t look like an ideal fit to replace Hamilton, as power is not a part of Bourn’s game, but the addition of Berkman changes the team dynamic enough to make adding a speedy lead-off man more palatable for the Rangers.

Should Texas add Bourn, they could drop Ian Kinsler lower in the lineup, where he would see more run-producing chances with his plus power bat. With Berkman, Adrian Beltre, Kinsler, Pierzynski, and Nelson Cruz making up the three-through-seven spots (though not necessarily in that order), Texas would maintain an elite lineup, though one with a decidedly different feel than in years past.

As is the case with Lohse, in order to sign Bourn, the Rangers would have to forfeit a draft pick and the slot money assigned to that pick. Should they sign both Lohse and Bourn, Texas would lose their top two picks in June’s draft. The Rangers have one of the deepest and most talented minor league systems in all of baseball, so if there is ever a club that can afford to surrender a pick or two, the Rangers have the depth to buffer the impact of such a loss. That doesn’t mean that it’s something they’d like to do, but losing the picks would have less of a negative effect on the Rangers than it would a club without the kind of system flush with talent that the Rangers have.

If they make no further additions, the Rangers have added enough pieces back to the roster to remain competitive in the AL West, but they’ll need healthy and effective seasons from some players who come with considerable question marks in their recent history. Oakland has more young pitching than anyone and their lineup should only be better than they were a year ago. Meanwhile, the Angels have three of the top eight or 10 hitters in the game all within the same lineup. If Texas wants to return to the playoff in 2013, they likely need to make another addition or two to their roster.

Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

This is a bold move for Texas, as guaranteeing Berkman $10 million at this point is a little on the risky side. Being able to DH will certainly help matters, but there’s no way to know for sure if Berkman’s knee has any chance of holding up over a whole season anymore. Obviously, the Ranger front office will make sure they’re confident in his medical status before making the deal official, but it still seems like this might have been a better deal with incentives included.

On the other side, Berkman can still hit, which he proved with a .959 OPS in 2011, and even the hobbled impostor who took his at-bats last season managed to hit a more than respectable .259/.381/.444. If keeping Berkman off the field defensively gives his knee sufficient off-time, there will be plenty of players more likely not to earn their contract than the long-time Houston Astro.

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May 13, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman (12) waits on deck before an at-bat against the Atlanta Braves at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch informs us today that, in addition to the Rangers, Berkman has been contacted by the Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays. While he has not yet committed to playing in 2013, Berkman has “warmed” to the idea of being a DH, making another tour of duty in the American League a possibility. Berkman struggled mightily down the stretch in 2010 after being acquired by the Yankees, when he was used primarily as the designated hitter.

Berkman, 36, has talked openly about retirement being a real possibility. At this point, his knees probably won’t allow him to play anything close to a full season as a two-way player. In 212, Berkman was limited to just 32 games of action but posted an .832 OPS. He’s just one season removed from a .301/.412/.547 campaign, however, so it’s clear he still has plenty of life left in his switch-hitting bat.

It sounds as if Berkman, who says he received two offers before Christmas, will play next season if he finds a team willing to pay him enough money. Berkman had previously been linked to the Astros, for whom he played the first eleven-and-a-half seasons of his 14-year career. While Houston needs a DH and a homecoming would keep Berkman in his native city, the Astros won’t be competitive in 2013 or anytime soon thereafter.

If winning is of vital importance for the veteran, Texas, Baltimore, and Tampa all make sense.

Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

This is a good move by GM Jeff Luhnow, who will be entering his second season in the position for the 2013 season. It’s obvious Berkman still feels strong ties to the Astro franchise — evidenced by the fact he was chastised by Major League Baseball for calling their move to the AL West an act of “extortion” — and a reunion would seem to fit both sides, at least from a nostalgic viewpoint.

Berkman may not have anything left to offer at this point, however; his 2012 season included just 97 plate appearances due to various knee-related maladies, and as this is not a new injury development for the switch-hitting slugger, who will turn 37 in February. That said, when he did play, he was still productive, posting a triple slash line of .259/.381/.444, good for a .354 wOBA. His batting eye, of course, remains outstanding as well — he walked in over 14 percent of his plate appearances. A player who could provide that kind of production even in a part-time role is a very useful one and well worth signing the asking price is within reason.

While the Astros won’t compete in 2013, Luhnow has done nothing but pull the right strings since taking over as GM, and the rebuilding movement is well underway. If Berkman is healthy enough to return, the only way he doesn’t choose to end his career in Houston is if he instead decides to take a last shot at getting another World Series ring, something the Astros most certainly cannot provide.

Can’t get enough of Spencer? Check out his work at StanGraphs and follow him on Twitter at @shendricks221.

While the St. Louis Cardinals look like a good bet to wrap up a post-season berth in short order, first baseman Lance Berkman, who has missed most of the 2012 season due to recurring knee troubles, says it’s a “longshot” he would play in October.

Berkman likely won’t see action in the playoffs. Image: Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

“The reality is I’ve basically missed the entire season,” he said. “Even if I were to get back out there physically, you still have the issue of not being game-ready. I don’t think it would be fair to the team to be added to the playoff roster and take somebody’s spot that could actually help us win.”

The Cardinals have dealt with an array of injuries this season, but have held things together enough to be the front-runner for thr final post-season berth. Berkman, who has discussed the possibility of retiring at the end of the year, was one of the main cogs in the lineup that won the 2011 World Series, but has been limited to only 31 games this year.

It’s easy to say St. Louis is a better team when Berkman is healthy, but it doesn’t look like that will be the case until next season.

Kozma Solidifies Shortstop

It wasn’t long ago that I openly wondered in the injury to shortstop Rafael Furcal would be the one St. Louis just couldn’t overcome. While Furcal was having a down season, the veteran provided tremendous defense and speed and had a flair for the dramatic. Additionally, Furcal’s injury took place just weeks after the Cards traded away backup shortstop Tyler Greene to Houston, so their organizational depth was to be tested heavily.

So what happened?

Kozma has more than picked up the slack left behind by Furcal’s absence. Image: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

Pete Kozma, a former first–round pick of the Cardinals who had never posted an OPS above .702 in the minor leagues, has taken this opportunity and run with it. In 23 games, Kozma has a .338/.375/.600 line and 10 of his 22 hits have gone for extra bases (five doubles, three triples, and two home runs).

Kozma’s month in the big leagues haas been undeniably hot, but there is little reason for anyone to think it’s something he can maintain. Simply put, nothing in his track record suggests he’s anything but a mediocre minor league hitter. The Cardinals are right to ride the hot streak, but fans that think he’s something more will be in for an unpleasant surprise.

The Cardinals always seem to find these kind of players, however, that help lead them deeper into the playoffs than the team has any reasonable expectation of going. As Jacob Meyer of I70baseball notes, Kozma could be the 2012 version of Ronnie Belliard, who was unspectacular in his career until coming to St. Louis mid-season in 2006.

Belliard hit just .237 for the Cardinals during the 2006 regular season, but he came up with key hits and was a large factor in the team’s postseason success. He hit .462 in the Division Series against the San Diego Padres and made several wonderful plays at second base to save runs.

It’s unlikely that Kozma’s hot streak can last forever, but he doesn’t have to carry an .800 OPS to surpass the production Furcal had given the Cardinals this year. If he can creep back toward normal rather than plummeting, the Cards should be fine at shortstop the rest of the way.

“You get to a certain point in your career and you want to play for something, and I still think the Astros are probably a few years away yet from being considered serious contenders for a World Series title,”

Berkman may not be done playing just yet. Image: Scott Rovak-US PRESSWIRE

A month ago, Berkman seemed all but sure he was going to retire at the conclusion of this season and perhaps he still will. The frustration of having a season cut short by injuries is one that often leads older players to openly consider hanging up the spikes.

Looking at his numbers over the past couple of season, Berkman can certainly still produce when healthy. In 2011, he surprised the baseball world by playing almost exclusively in the outfield, while turning in a 31-homer, 94-RBI season for the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. Though he’s been limited to a mere 31 games in 2012, Berkman has still compiled a very solid .835 OPS.

Though he has built up some goodwill in St. Louis, Berkman will be 37 before next season begins and seems probably best-suited for DH duties going forward. The Cardinals seem comfortable with Allen Craig at first base, so there is no longer an obvious fit for Berkman there. If he wants to play beyond this season, he’s probably looking at a one year contract and for probably somewhere in the $5-8 million range. From the sounds of it, however, if he does want to play next year, it won’t be with Houston.

I could see him landing with the Rangers, especially if Josh Hamilton were to leave via free agency. Otherwise, there aren’t a lot of probable contenders with a need for a full-time DH.

The St. Louis Cardinals are expecting the unexpected return of right hander Chris Carpenter soon, but the club will have to play out the string without first baseman Lance Berkman, who will undergo season-ending surgery on his knee on Tuesday.

Berkman’s career may be over. Image: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

Berkman has been dealing with knee issues all year long and they have limited him to just 31 games of action in 2012. Last month, while on rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis, Berkman talked at length about the probability that this would be his final season.

Certainly, no one likes to go out this way, but many had figured Berkman to be washed up in 2010 when Houston dealt him to the Yankees. He enjoyed a resurgent season in 2011, helping boost the Cardinals to an unprecedented Wild Card run and to a World Series title.

A repeat performance was no in the cards for Berkman this season, however.

St. Louis has managed to stay ahead of the Dodgers and Pirates despite the loss of shortstop Rafeal Furcal and the recent slump of Carlos Beltran. Right hander Jake Westbrook is dealing his discomfort that will possibly cause him to miss the final couple weeks, so Carpenter couldn’t come back at a better time. Berkman had probably already lost his job to Allen Craig, who has had a great season in his place, but this is still a potent bat and one St. Louis will miss.

If this is the last we see of Lance Berkam as an active baseball player, it has been one heck of a career.

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