You say easier to turn the wheel. Just a guess, but you might open the hood and take a quick look at the upper strut mount to see if it's tight. Mitchell OnDemand says to loosen the top strut nut by 5 turns. This is a time that a little bit loose is a good thing --makes it easier to get the strut out of the way of the axle shaft when it's being removed from the vehicle.
And you checked for play in the tie rod with your hand, also checked for wheel looseness. With your hands at 6 and 12 o'clock and at 3 and 9 o'clock?
Looks like you went over it pretty good.
Maybe the mechanic loosened up the tie rod when he seperated it from the knuckle, if he used a remover of the pickle-fork style?
