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ST. PETERSBURG - The Devil Rays signed Fred McGriff to a minor-league contract because they thought it was the right thing to do.
With McGriff nine home runs shy of the 500 mark and unable to land a job elsewhere, the Rays extended the Tampa native an unusual courtesy, and essentially did him a favor, by inviting him to spring training even though he has little chance to make their team.
"It is unusual," general manager Chuck LaMar said. "I felt obligated. We are the local team, Fred was born and raised here, he's had a tremendous major-league career and he has struggled to get a job this offseason.
"I felt it was our organization's responsibility, and mine, to give Fred an opportunity to come in. Stranger things have happened. If we have a rash of injuries, it's possible he'd make our club and get his home runs here. There's a better chance he'll come in and show other teams he's still capable of playing this game and hopefully go on and set this mark. ... It's a very important one for him and we'll be proud to be able to say we helped him achieve that goal."
McGriff, 40, had no other serious offers, but attributed the lack of interest to concerns about his health since he missed about half of last season with groin and knee injuries. He said he was appreciative of the opportunity, which was unexpected since he wasn't happy, and said so, when the Rays traded him to the Cubs in a July 2001 cost-saving deal.
"You can't never say never," McGriff said. "It's just one of those things. I'm just thankful to Chuck and (manager) Lou Piniella for giving me an opportunity to give it another shot."
When McGriff was with the Rays from 1998-2001, he was a cornerstone of the lineup. He knows things will be different when he shows up next week.
"I know their team is pretty much set," McGriff said. "If I'm going to play anywhere, I have to be healthy to start with. For me, it's win-win. ... I still believe if I'm healthy I can go out and perform at a high level."
McGriff said he feels good after October right knee surgery but has to rebuild his confidence by getting back on the field. If a team wants to give McGriff a spot on its 25-man roster and the Rays don't need him, LaMar said he would probably release him from the deal, which is for the $300,000 minimum salary plus about $450,000 in incentives.
Also:
The annual FanFest will be March 6 (10 a.m.-1 p.m.) and 7 (noon-4 p.m.) at Tropicana Field, with player autograph signings, stadium tours, interactive games and Q-and-A sessions. Season-ticket holders get in one hour early.
Pitcher Doug Waechter, the first St. Petersburg native to play for the Rays, will be honored Thursday by the City Council.
MARINERS: Left-hander Terry Mulholland and outfielder Eric Owens agreed to minor league contracts. Mulholland, a 17-year veteran, will turn 41 March 9.
PHILLIES: Kevin Millwood agreed to an $11-million, one-year contract, avoiding arbitration. Millwood, who made $9.9-million last season, was seeking $12.5-million. "We are pleased that we were able to get the case settled," GM Ed Wade said. "It's our hope that we can continue to have an open dialogue with Kevin regarding him being a Phillie for a long time." Millwood went 14-12 last year. Also, Ruben Amaro Jr., Wade's assistant GM, met with Dodgers owner Frank McCourt to discuss the team's possible GM vacancy.
YANKEES: Former Rays first baseman Travis Lee is close to a one-year contract for more than $2-million, according to Newsday. Lee, 28, hit .275 with a .348 on-base percentage and .459 slugging percentage last season. He had 19 homers and 70 RBIs. He is known most of all for a strong glove, as he is far superior at first base to starter Jason Giambi and reserve Tony Clark. Lee made $500,000 in 2003, and he and the Devil Rays both declined a $2.5-million mutual option for 2004. Also, third baseman Aaron Boone's knee surgery likely will occur next week.
STEROIDS CASE: Test results were subpoenaed by a federal grand jury probing a lab accused of supplying athletes with the steroid THG. Rob Manfred, of the commissioner's office, said the subpoenas were issued to two agencies: Comprehensive Drug Testing of Long Beach, Calif.,and Quest Diagnostics of Teterboro, N.J.
- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.