Texas Rangers Sign Pitcher John Patterson to Minor League Contract

Native of Orange, Texas added to Minor League camp

03/24/2008, SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Texas Rangers formally announced today that the club has signed right-handed pitcher John Patterson to a Minor League contract.

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Patterson, 30, established career highs in several categories in 2005 before being hampered the last two seasons by nerve damage in his right forearm. He was 9-7 with a 3.13 ERA in 31 games/starts for Washington in 2005, ranking among National League leaders in strikeouts per 9 innings (T7th, 8.4), average against (8th, .233), and ERA (9th). He compiled 9 wins that season despite enduring the 7th-lowest run support in the N.L.

He was released by Washington on Friday after making 3 starts in "A" games this spring for the Nationals, going 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA (7 ER/9.0 IP). He made just 15 starts in the Majors in 2006-07 while enduring 3 disabled list stints.

Patterson has gone 18-25 with a 4.32 ERA in 88 games/78 starts in the Majors for Arizona and Montreal/Washington. He was originally a first round selection (5th overall) by Montreal in the 1996 June draft out of West Orange-Stark High School. As a senior, he was named to USA Today's prep All-America team after going 7-2 with a 0.77 ERA in 72.1 innings, totaling 142 strikeouts.

Source: MLB