BOSTON -- Like Father Flanagan, John Hart has never met a wayward soul he didn't think he could heal.

In Cleveland, he put up with Albert Belle, traded for John Rocker, signed Wil Cordero and built a cocoon around Manny Ramirez. Now Hart is the new GM in Texas. And clearly, he's still determined to make his mark as a guy who would take a chance on the cast of "America's Most Wanted" if they were five-tool players.

	Carl Everett Center Field Texas Rangers Profile
	2001 SEASON STATISTICS GM HR RBI OBP SLG AVG 102 14 58 .323 .438 .257

So at 1 a.m. on a Wednesday night that turned into Thursday morning, Hart stepped to the podium at the winter meetings and announced he had traded for Carl Everett. Granted, all he had to give up was Darren Oliver, whom you could make a case for as the worst $7-million pitcher in baseball. But Hart also understands that as model citizens go, Everett makes Rickey Henderson look like Cal Ripken.

Dealing for Everett was a chance almost none of Hart's peers was willing to take at any price. But as one of Hart's longtime friends said this week, for him, "it isn't about problems. It's about solutions."

"Look," Hart said, "we'll see what happens. I can't predict the future. But I'll say this: We're not going in blind."

Hart knows all about Everett's messy past. But he also knows Boston "can be a difficult market" and that Arlington, Texas isn't Kenmore Square. He wouldn't acknowledge that the Red Sox also seemed to go out of their way at times to push Everett's buttons, but you can bet he's aware of that, too.

Mostly, though, Hart knows he once got a string of monster seasons from the likes of Belle and Ramirez by allowing them a certain, well, latitude. So he's one GM who is not afraid to craft the "expectations" on Everett to fit this guy's quirky -- OK, stormy -- personality.

"We've talked a lot about that," Hart said. "I think there are different ways of handling all players. I love Jimy Williams. And Dan Duquette has been a friend of mine for 20 years. Sometimes, things just happen. I wasn't privvy to all the things that went on behind the scenes there.

"But our focus is more going forward -- what we can do, what Carl can do. And part of that is to create an environment where Carl can succeed."

Hart used to allow his buddy Albert to dodge all pregame responsibilities except batting practice, to avoid talking to the press, even to put his cold-blooded imprint on the the clubhouse thermostat.

And when his man Manny developed into one of the game's most feared hitters, Hart's Indians never asked a darned thing of him, other than just to show up and hit.

So it's safe to say that when Hart says he wants to "create an environment where Carl can succeed," he's not just talking about making sure the air conditioning works.

"We do try to pay attention to the fact that you've got different personalities that you need to build into a successful team," Hart said. "Obviously, talent is a big part of success. But you've also got to recognize that not everybody is the same guy."

That would certainly describe Everett, whose timeliness, temper and views on the workings of the world don't fit any other known human mold. But when his last two teams -- the Astros and Red Sox -- were able to keep him happy and healthy over a full season, he cranked out 108-RBI seasons in two of the last three years, a 34-homer season for the 2000 Red Sox and a 27-steal season in Houston in 1999.

"Hey, we're here to win," Hart said. "We're not here to be the good ol' Texas Rangers and get run over by other clubs. So this is part of that desire. Carl was one of a number of candidates we put down (as an option) in center field. And you have to like what he brings on both sides of the ball. Clearly, of all of those candidates, he was the most impactful guy."

They have to hope, of course, that more of that impact is on the green grass of The Ballpark at Arlington than on the headline writers at the Dallas Morning News. But it's a chance John Hart figures is well worth taking, the kind of chance he has always felt was well worth taking. In fact, he could be on the verge of acquiring Rocker again, for the second time in one year. So you know he's not afraid of much -- including Carl Everett.

"This is one you file under 'to be continued,'" Hart said. "We didn't do it with a click of the fingers. But when you look at it with a general manager's hat, you look at the economics. You look at the availability and the price you had to pay. And face it, we didn't have to pay a steep price for a very talented player.

"So yeah, this is one to be continued. But this is also one we think we can handle and one we think we can contend with."

So Everett will head for Texas, the clock will tick and the calendar will turn. Get back to us in a year, maybe in two, and we'll see who's laughing last -- the worn-out citizens of Boston or John Hart, the Father Flanagan of baseball.

Jayson Stark is a senior writer for ESPN.com.