St. Petersburg, FL (My Sportsbook) - The Tampa Bay Devil Rays and free agent first baseman Travis Lee have agreed to a one-year contract. Lee, who became expendable in Philadelphia when the Phillies signed Jim Thome to a blockbuster deal, batted .265 with 13 homers and 70 RBI in 2002. Lee is a lifetime .255 hitter with 73 home runs and 336 RBI over the course of five seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Phillies. The 27-year-old San Diego State product earned $3 million last season. Lee was drafted second overall by the Minnesota Twins in 1996, but used a loophole in baseball's rules to become a free agent. He then signed with the expansion Diamondbacks for a then-record $10 million bonus. Lee had a successful rookie season but lost his starting job at first base to Erubiel Durazo in 1999. He then was one of four Diamondbacks sent to Philadelphia for Curt Schilling at the 2000 trade deadline. Lee was the everyday starter for the Phillies since the trade, but fell out of favor with manager Larry Bowa last season. Former Philadelphia second baseman Marlon Anderson, who became expendable when the Phillies signed David Bell, inked a deal with the Devil Rays last month. |
