Third time not a charm for demoted McCracken

The Rays send the veteran to Triple A again: "The next step is maybe find somewhere else for me to play, and that would be through a trade,'' he says.

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 4, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- Quinton McCracken walked out of the Devil Rays clubhouse Monday afternoon a disappointed man. It was the third time he had been optioned to Triple A this season and perhaps the first time he realized that if he gets back to the major leagues, it may have to be through a different door.

"I want to play here, and I want to play here in a significant role, but obviously I'm not in their plans," McCracken said. "The next step is maybe find somewhere else for me to play, and that would be through a trade."

McCracken made his feelings known during an afternoon meeting with assistant general manager Scott Proefrock and manager Larry Rothschild. But finding a new place to play in the majors is easier said than done.

He missed most of last season following reconstructive knee surgery, makes $1.85-million and has struggled in his limited big-league opportunities this season, hitting .115 with no extra-base hits in 12 games. (He has a .269 average with 16 RBI in 44 games at Triple-A Durham.)

General manager Chuck LaMar said he is aware of McCracken's feelings. He also is aware, at the time of year when there are talks ongoing with a number of teams, of what the trade market is. And he knows two of his big-league outfielders, Gerald Williams and Greg Vaughn, have been sidelined with injuries and depth within the organization could be important. "If there is a deal to be made that is beneficial to the organization, then we would consider that deal," LaMar said.

McCracken acknowledged that it may be hard for the Rays to swing a trade."It's going to be a Catch-22," he said. "To get proper trade value for a guy in TripleA with a big-league salary would be tough."

But, McCracken said, he thinks any kind of deal would be better for himself and the team.

"I would think they would want to maybe save some salary by trading me and by getting a prospect or whatever, a 12-pack of Yoo-hoos, some baseballs or something, and save a little salary," he said. "We could both move forward, but that's in Mr. LaMar's hands. Hopefully we can get something done."

McCracken was the team MVP in 1998, hitting .292 with seven homers and 59 RBI, but got off to a slow start in 1999 due to a slight right knee injury then tore the ACL during a May 24 game.

There still seemed to be visible signs of the knee problem during his earlier stints with the team this season, but Rothschild and McCracken said the knee is no longer an issue.

"I think he's healthy," Rothschild said, "but I think he needs to play."

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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