▁recently ▁trad ed ▁super st ars ▁R andy ▁Johnson ▁and ▁Ken ▁Griff ey ▁Jr . ▁Rod rig uez ▁put ▁up ▁great ▁numbers ▁as ▁the ▁team ' s ▁remaining ▁super star , ▁hitting ▁ 4 1 ▁H R ▁with ▁ 1 3 2 ▁R B Is ▁and ▁a ▁. 3 1 6 ▁batt ing ▁average . ▁He ▁set ▁a ▁career ▁high ▁for ▁wal ks ▁( 1 0 0 ) ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁only ▁short stop ▁to ▁have ▁ 1 0 0 ▁runs , ▁R BI , ▁and ▁wal ks ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁season . ▁He ▁hit ▁well ▁in ▁the ▁play offs ▁as ▁well ▁(. 4 0 9 ▁batt ing ▁average ▁and ▁. 7 7 3 ▁sl ug ging ▁percentage ), ▁but ▁Seattle ▁lost ▁to ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Yan ke es ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁American ▁League ▁Championship ▁Series . ▁He ▁was ▁selected ▁as ▁the ▁Major ▁League ▁Player ▁of ▁the ▁Year ▁by ▁Baseball ▁America ▁and ▁finished ▁third ▁in ▁the ▁AL ▁M VP ▁voting . ▁ ▁Texas ▁R angers ▁Rod rig uez ▁became ▁a ▁free ▁agent ▁after ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁season . ▁He ▁eventually ▁signed ▁with ▁the ▁Texas ▁R angers , ▁who ▁had ▁fallen ▁to ▁last ▁place ▁in ▁their ▁division ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁The ▁contract ▁was ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁most ▁luc r ative ▁contract ▁in ▁sports ▁history : ▁a ▁ 1 0 - year ▁deal ▁worth ▁$ 2 5 2   mill ion ▁( equ ivalent ▁to ▁$   mill ion ▁in ▁). ▁The ▁deal