The rapid-fire signings of Clemens and Hershiser prompted a question: Are they, respectively, $800,000 and $1.2 million better than Gooden?

The stunning signing prompted one baseball official to lump the Red Sox with some other teams and call the group "the five biggest hawks in baseball."

Washington Disappointing The signing of Moore prompted reports that the Nets had given up on Dwayne (Pearl) Washington, their top 1986 draft choice, who had a poor rookie season.

The signing with Nettwerk prompted McLachlan to move to Vancouver, British Columbia.

Contreras was a Cuban defector whose signing with the Yankees prompted Larry Lucchino, the Red Sox' chief executive, to call the Yankees the Evil Empire.

His signing prompted the Red Sox' president, Larry Lucchino, to call the Yankees "the evil empire," a reference that enraged the Yankees' principal owner, George Steinbrenner.

Contreras's signing early last year prompted Larry Lucchino, the Red Sox' president, to say, "The evil empire," meaning the Yankees, "extends its tentacles into Latin America."

This signing of the bill prompted Vice President Al Gore to take direct aim at his potential opponent, accusing the Texas Governor of being soft on gun control.

But, the next year, the signing of an agreement with the United States prompted the country to suspend its official withdrawal.

The Yankees were unable to get that kind of pitching from Contreras, whose signing prompted Larry Lucchino to refer to the Yankees as the Evil Empire.