ST. LOUIS -- This time, it didn't matter that the St. Louis Cardinals were outbid for their free-agent target.

	Jason Isringhausen Relief Pitcher St. Louis Cardinals Profile
	2001 SEASON STATISTICS GM W L Sv K ERA 65 4 3 34 74 2.65

Jason Isringhausen signed a $27 million, four-year contract Monday with St. Louis, opting to play for a winner close to home rather than the biggest contract.

Isringhausen turned down an offer from the Texas Rangers for nearly $30 million over four years. In past years, the Cardinals were outbid for free agents Mike Hampton and Kevin Brown.

"It seems like the last couple years we've been a little bit short," owner Bill DeWitt said. "When we started talking with Jason, he made it clear that while there was a certain question of compensation that was important to him, beyond that it was dependent on a lot of other factors."

Isringhausen, who grew up a half-hour from St. Louis in Brighton, Ill., will play for the team he grew up cheering for and in front of his family.

"Down at the end it was between the Cardinals and the Rangers," Isringhausen said. "I have family down in Texas, too.

"I want to thank the Rangers for the way they handled themselves very professionally," Isringhausen said. "But my final choice was being with the Cardinals. My main goal is to win, and I think they have the right group of guys here to win for a very long time."

Isringhausen, 29, was 4-3 with 34 saves in 43 chances and 2.65 ERA last season. He closed out both of Oakland's wins in the A's first-round loss to the New York Yankees.

Isringhausen also pitched three-plus seasons with the New York Mets and has a lifetime record of 28-29.

"We looked hard during the winter at the alternatives," manager Tony La Russa said. "The guy just jumped out at us."

Dave Veres had been the St. Louis closer for the past two seasons. But he was hurt part of last season and often ineffective. The Cardinals essentially went to a closer-by-committee format, using Steve Kline, Mike Timlin and Veres.

St. Louis had also expressed interest in free agents John Smoltz, who re-signed with Atlanta, and Jeff Shaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

La Russa, general manager Walt Jocketty and other club officials planned to arrive at the winter meetings in Boston later Monday, where Jocketty said landing a hitter to replace the retired Mark McGwire would be his next priority.

Isringhausen said he had talked with Jason Giambi about joining him in St. Louis, but didn't know what the first basemen planned to do.

Jocketty, however, put a strong damper on the slim remaining hopes that Giambi could yet end up in St. Louis.

"I'm not sure Giambi ever was (in the picture)," Jocketty said. "We tried to figure out a way to make it work, but its just going to be too expensive for us to get involved in."

Jocketty said the club might not have the resources to sign another free agent, and could end up trading for a hitter instead.

"Along the way, we might have to move some payroll to make it work," Jocketty said. "But we're going to try and find a hitter."