Tuesday, February 24, 2004
He passed his physical on Monday and will report for workouts Wednesday.
BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) -- Free agent outfielder Raul Mondesi signed a one-year contract with a club option for 2005 after passing his physical Monday with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Now the Pirates hope their latest bargain basement pickup enjoys the kind of season Mondesi's right field predecessor, Reggie Sanders, did last year. Sanders hit 31 homers after all the contending clubs passed on him, but since signed with St. Louis.
Mondesi, 33, batted .272 with 24 home runs, 71 RBIs and 22 stolen bases in 143 games with the New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks in 2003. Pittsburgh tried to deal for Mondesi last year, but the Yankees wouldn't pick up all but $1 million of his contract, as the Pirates wanted.
Wanted back in NL
"I told my agent I want to sign with a National League team," said Mondesi, who hasn't played a full season in the NL since 1999. "The Pirates wanted to sign me and I want to play for them, especially because [Roberto] Clemente played many years for the Pirates."
Mondesi was examined by team doctors Sunday, then completed the rest of his exam Monday. He immediately returned to his native Dominican Republic to pack his belongings, and he plans to rejoin the Pirates on Wednesday, the voluntary reporting date for position players.
Problems in past
Mondesi had a troublesome 2003 season. His July 29 trade to the Diamondbacks came two days after he briefly walked out on the Yankees and three weeks after he sulked over being benched for a game.
Mondesi was upset at being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning of a July 27 game against the Boston Red Sox. He left the clubhouse before the game was finished and missed the team's charter flight to California for a series against Anaheim. The Yankees later traded him to the Diamondbacks for David Dellucci and two minor leaguers.
Mondesi likely would bat cleanup for the Pirates, who lost Reggie Sanders and Matt Stairs to free agency. Craig Wilson's 18 home runs last year is tops among players currently on the Pirates spring roster.