▁was ▁worth ▁$ 6 3   mill ion ▁more ▁than ▁the ▁second - rich est ▁baseball ▁deal . ▁The ▁contract ▁was ▁highly ▁critic ized , ▁because ▁it ▁tied ▁up ▁valuable ▁pay roll ▁space ▁that ▁could ▁have ▁been ▁spent ▁to ▁improve ▁other ▁areas , ▁such ▁as ▁pitch ing . ▁Dave ▁Mc N ally , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁players ▁who ▁had ▁successfully ▁challeng ed ▁the ▁reserve ▁clause ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁to ▁create ▁free ▁ag ency ▁in ▁baseball , ▁said , ▁" My ▁first ▁thought ▁when ▁I ▁saw ▁[ re ports ▁that ▁Rod rig uez ▁had ▁signed ] ▁was : ▁Did ▁Texas ▁offer ▁him ▁$ 2 5 0 ▁million ▁and ▁he ▁wanted ▁two ▁more ? ▁How ▁did ▁they ▁get ▁to ▁$ 2 5 2 ▁million ?" ▁ ▁In ▁an ▁article ▁written ▁eight ▁years ▁later , ▁Rod rig uez ▁said ▁he ▁reg rett ed ▁signing ▁with ▁the ▁Texas ▁R angers ▁and ▁wished ▁he ▁had ▁signed ▁with ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁M ets ▁instead , ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁he eded ▁the ▁advice ▁of ▁his ▁agent , ▁Scott ▁Bor as . ▁( See ▁Opt ▁out ▁controvers y ). ▁▁ 2 0 0 1 – 2 0 0 2 ▁Rod rig uez ' s ▁power ▁hitting ▁numbers ▁improved ▁with ▁his ▁move ▁to ▁the ▁Texas ▁R angers . ▁In ▁his ▁first ▁season ▁there , ▁Rod rig uez ▁produced ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁top ▁off ensive ▁seasons ▁ever ▁for ▁a ▁short stop , ▁leading ▁the ▁American ▁League ▁with ▁ 5 2 ▁H R , ▁ 1 3 3