Hoping to add power to their lineup, the Texas Rangers inked Andres Galarraga to a one-year deal on December 9, 2000. Nicknamed "the Big Cat" for his wide smiles, Galarraga will likely rotate playing first-base and DH with slugger Rafael Palmerio. In a career spanning 15 seasons, the clutch-hitting Galarraga carries a .291 batting average, including 2,070 hits, with 360 homers and 1,272 RBIs. After missing the entire 1999 season due to a cancerous tumor in his back, he hit .302 with 28 home runs and drove in an even 100 runs with the Atlanta Braves last season. He was not offered a new contract after his 3-year, $24.5 million pact with the Braves ran out.