Rangers, Not Astros, To Sign Patterson

Although it was believed that John Patterson would join the Astros, the Rangers have jumped in and are closing in on a deal. Patterson, who lives in Texas, will start the year in Triple-A, but will probably get a call up if someone struggles or goes down. "It's no-risk for a guy who has had success in the big leagues," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "We want to bring him in, get him healthy and send him [to Triple-A]." Patterson was struggling to reach 85 on his fastball, and Nationals just became impatient. Allowing him to pitch in Triple-A and get him arm strength up should benefit the Rangers, to some extent.