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1989 - 1993





Like the Angels' front office before him, Astros' general manager Bill Wood along with the decision of owner John McMullen had underestimated the value of Nolan in the free agent market. While Nolan had hoped to finish his career close to home, the Astros had other plans.

While mega deals had made a mockery of the baseball salary structure, Nolan had never received a raise from his original contract of $1 million dollars a year during his tenure as an Astro. With the emergence of pitcher Mike Scott as the ace of the staff and Nolan's age (40 at the time), the Astros decided to offer him a contact for the 1989 season with a 20% cut in pay, the maximum amount a ball club can cut. Nolan decided to file for free agency instead.

Several teams including the California Angels, opened negotiations with Nolan's agent. Even the Astros were in persuit before bailing out with a final offer of $1.4 million dollars. The move back out to Anaheim was entertained until the Texas Rangers came into the picture. Although the move to California would have been more lucritive, Nolan decide on the lesser commute from Alvin to Arlington, staying in the state of Texas.



Ranger Roundup




Nolan's Last Stands





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