Houston signed OF-S Lanced Berkman to a one-year, $10.5M contract last week. When teams and players exchanged arbitration figures, the Astros offered $10M while Berkman requested $11M, so the two compromised at the mid-point of the two numbers. The two sides plan to continue discussing a multi-year deal, at least through the end of spring training, but this contract allows them to avoid arbitration. Without a longer deal in place, Berkman will achieve free agency following the 2005 season, and he seems inclined to test the market unless Houston comes through with a competitive offer this spring.

Berkman possesses excellent plate discipline, considerable power, and useful speed, making him a valuable asset for any club. Unfortunately for the Astros, his recent knee injury appears to have introduced additional risk into signing him to a multi-year deal while Berkman's salary expectations remain unchanged. Despite the likelihood of a full-recovery early in the season, I still would prefer to negotiate with a healthy 28-year-old than one who just incurred an injury that could make his knee a trouble spot for the rest of his career.