We signed pitching prospects

[Mad'sWife]

10/21/2003 4:47 PM ET
Texas Rangers agree to terms with RHP John Wasdin on Oklahoma contract
Resign Erick Burke, Danny Ardoin, and Manny Alexander to minor league contracts; invite all four to major league spring training camp


The Texas Rangers announced today that the club has agreed to terms with righthanded pitcher John Wasdin on a contract with Oklahoma of the Pacific Coast League.
In addition, Texas has re-signed three minor league free agents, lefthanded pitcher Erick Burke, catcher Danny Ardoin, and infielder Manny Alexander to Oklahoma contracts. All four players have been invited to Texas' 2004 spring training camp as non-roster players.

Wasdin, 31, split the 2003 season between the Pittsburgh and Toronto organizations. He was 8-4, 3.04 in 18 starts at Nashville before being traded to the Blue Jays on July 8. The righthander was 0-1, 23.40 in 3 games/2 starts with Toronto, earning no decision on July 11 at New York and losing to Boston on July 20 in the 2 starts. He was outrighted to Syracuse on July 27 and was 2-1, 5.23 in 10 games/one start the rest of the year.

Wasdin has a career major league record of 31-30 with a 5.22 era in 261 games/44 starts with Oakland (1995-96), Boston (1997-2000), Colorado (2000-01), Baltimore (2001), and Toronto (2003). He won eight games in 21 starts with the A's in 1996 and posted an 8-3 record in 45 relief appearances with Boston in 1999. Wasdin spent 2002 pitching for Yomiuri in the Japanese Central League.

Burke was 4-4, 2.59 with 3 saves in 64 appearances at Frisco in 2003. Ardoin batted .243 with 7 homers and 35 rbi in 74 games at Oklahoma this season. Alexander hit .258 with 4 homers and 48 rbi in 120 games with the RedHawks in 2003, starting 104 games at shortstop. He has a career major league average of .234 with 15 homers and 108 rbi in 541 major league games with the Orioles, Mets, Cubs, and Red Sox.

[Madison]

Wasdin and Burke sound like people who could help in a year or two.

[DK]