1995 MLB Off-Season (No Expansion)

Schilling is one of a handful of players that Oakland landed.

Transactions

• The Oakland Athletics acquired SP Cal Eldred from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for SS Mike Bordick and CF Jason McDonald.
• The Oakland Athletics signed OF Larry Walker to a 8-year deal worth $48.7 million (just under $6.1 million per year). 
• The Oakland Athletics signed SP Curt Schilling to a 6-year deal worth $25.68 million ($4.28 million per year).
• The Toronto Blue Jays signed SP Erik Hanson to a 6-year deal worth $32.4 million ($5.4 million per year).
• Tom Candiotti returns to the Los Angeles Dodgers (after two seasons with the Rangers), signing a 2-year deal worth a total of $8.48 million.
• The Texas Rangers signed SS Barry Larkin to a 4-year deal worth $21.78 million (just under $5.5 million per year).
• The New York Yankees signed OF Ron Gant to a 4-year deal worth worth $11.52 million ($2.88 million per year).
• The Montreal Expos signed RP Dennis Eckersley to a 2-year deal totaled at $4.4 million.
• The Chicago Cubs acquired 1B Tino Martinez from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for C Don Slaught and minor league RP Terry Adams.
• The Detroit Tigers traded 1B Cecil Fielder and 2B Bill Mueller to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for minor league LF Lorenzo De La Cruz. 
• The St Louis Cardinals signed OF Rickey Henderson to a 3-year deal worth $6.48 million ($2.16 million per year).
• The Chicago White Sox traded OF Tim Raines and minor league OF Willie Romero to the St Louis Cardinals in exchange for 1B Geronimo Pena and minor league RP John Frascatore.
• Bob Tewksbury opted out of his contract with the Oakland Athletics (a deal he signed as a member of the Atlanta Braves) & signed a 5-year deal with the Texas Rangers at $4.44 million per season.
• The Montreal Expos sign RP Randy Myers to a 3-year deal worth $6.24 million. 
• The San Diego Padres sign SP Bill Swift.
• The Cincinnati Reds sign SP Ramon Martinez.
• The Minnesota Twins traded P Brad Radke and RP Tony Fossas to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for 1B Dave Magadan. 
• The Atlanta Braves acquire RP Scott Radinsky and C Guillermo Garcia via the Rule 5 Draft. 
• The Cincinnati Reds sign RP Lee Smith to one-year deal.
• The Montreal Expos signed RP John Franco to a 3-year deal worth $3.6 million ($1.2 million per year).

Oakland acquiring Larry Walker, Curt Schilling and Cal Eldred are already causing aftershocks across Major League Baseball, early projections have Walker batting cleanup in between Mark McGwire & Jose Canseco in the lineup. The additions of Schilling & Eldred have the five-man rotation easily being the league's best with Kevin Brown, Mark Langston, Curt Schilling, Terry Mulholland, and Cal Eldred. 

Pretty solid for a team that is already coming off a 103-win season & A.L. League Championship Series berth.

The Montreal Expos are putting together a bullpen worthy of causing hitters plenty of nightmares, they have signed relievers Randy Myers, John Franco & Dennis Eckersley, all to multiple-year deals.

The St Louis Cardinals seem to be seeking older vets with speed by acquiring both Rickey Henderson & Tim Raines, both players combined have 1,874 stolen bases.

In a head-scratcher of a trade, the Detroit Tigers traded 1B/DH Cecil Fielder and 2B Bill Mueller to the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor league outfielder Lorenzo De La Cruz. The deal would have made a little sense if the deal was a salary-dumping deal, but it's reported that the Tigers will retain the majority of Fielder's remaining contract. 

Beltran: Baseball's 1st Overall Pick in 1995 MLB Draft.

Notable 1995 MLB Draft Selections...

• OF Carlos Beltran (1st Overall / Detroit Tigers)
• 1B Todd Helton (#2 / Boston Red Sox - Failed to sign)
• OF Darin Erstad (#3 / Milwaukee Brewers)
• OF Vladimir Guerrero (#4 / New York Mets)
• SS Miguel Tejada (#5 / San Francisco Giants - Failed to sign)
• SP Hideo Nomo (#6 / Kansas City Royals)
• SS Carlos Guillen (#7 / Philadelphia Phillies)
• C Jason Varitek (#8 / Chicago Cubs)
• OF Geoff Jenkins (#9 / San Diego Padres)
• 1B Sean Casey (#10 / Kansas City Royals)
• 3B Mike Lowell (#16 / Texas Rangers - Failed to sign)
• SP Roy Halladay (#18 / Cleveland Indians - Failed to sign)
• SP Jarrod Washburn (#23 / Chicago White Sox)
• SP Kerry Wood (#28 / Seattle Mariners)
• SP Russ Ortiz (#29 / Cleveland Indians)
• SP Ryan Dempster (Sup 1st Rd - #33/ Seattle Mariners)
• SP Freddy A Garcia (Sup 1st Rd - #34 / Cleveland Indians)
• OF Jose Cruz Jr (Sup 1st Rd - #36 / Oakland Athletics)
• SP A.J. Burnett (Sup 1st Rd - #38 / Montreal Expos)

1995 Hall of Fame Inductions

• 3B Mike Schmidt (98.3 % - 1st year)
• C Ted Simmons (84.7% - 2nd year)