▁grand ▁sl ams ▁with ▁ 2 5 . ▁He ▁signed ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁luc r ative ▁sports ▁contract s ▁in ▁baseball . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁his ▁accomplish ments , ▁he ▁also ▁led ▁a ▁controvers ial ▁career ▁due ▁to ▁some ▁of ▁his ▁behav iors , ▁including ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁performance - en han cing ▁dru gs . ▁ ▁The ▁Mar in ers ▁selected ▁Rod rig uez ▁first ▁overall ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁ML B ▁draft , ▁and ▁he ▁deb uted ▁in ▁the ▁major ▁le agues ▁the ▁following ▁year ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 8 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁Mar in ers ' ▁starting ▁short stop , ▁won ▁the ▁major ▁league ▁batt ing ▁championship , ▁and ▁finished ▁second ▁in ▁voting ▁for ▁the ▁AL ▁M VP ▁Award . ▁ ▁His ▁combination ▁of ▁power , ▁speed , ▁and ▁defense ▁made ▁him ▁a ▁corner stone ▁of ▁the ▁franch ise , ▁but ▁he ▁left ▁the ▁team ▁via ▁free ▁ag ency ▁after ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁season ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁R angers . ▁The ▁ 1 0 - year , ▁$ 2 5 2   mill ion ▁contract ▁he ▁signed ▁was ▁the ▁rich est ▁in ▁baseball ▁history ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁ ▁He ▁played ▁at ▁a ▁high ▁level ▁in ▁his ▁three ▁years ▁with ▁Texas , ▁highlight ed ▁by ▁his ▁first ▁AL ▁M VP ▁Award ▁win ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁but ▁the ▁team ▁failed ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁play offs ▁during ▁his ▁ten ure .