Baseball Guru
02-19-2002, 11:00 PM
By Associated Press
February 19, 2002, 5:26 PM EST
JUPITER, Fla. -- Jose Canseco, needing 38 home runs to reach 500 for his career, signed a minor league contract with the Montreal Expos on Tuesday and was invited to spring training.
Canseco, 37, is expected to join the Expos for their first full-squad workout Thursday. Primarily a designated hitter in recent years, the outfielder will try to make his first NL team.
Canseco signed last June with the Chicago White Sox and hit .258 with 16 home runs and 49 RBIs in 256 at-bats. He played 76 games, almost all of them as a DH.
"He was a free agent and was available, so I thought he was worth trying," Expos general manager Omar Minaya said. "He is a veteran player, a power hitter who still has incentive since he is trying to reach the 500-home run mark."
In the last three seasons, Canseco has played just 13 games in the field. He made two appearances last season.
Canseco is a six-time All-Star and ranks 22nd on the career home run list with 462, three behind Dave Winfield. He is second among active players, trailing only Barry Bonds (567).
Canseco has played for Oakland, Texas, Boston, Toronto, Tampa Bay, the Yankees and the White Sox.
The AL Rookie of the Year in 1986, Canseco was the AL MVP in 1988, the year he became the first player in major league history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season.
Canseco and Fred McGriff are the only players ever to hit 30 home runs in a season for four different teams.
February 19, 2002, 5:26 PM EST
JUPITER, Fla. -- Jose Canseco, needing 38 home runs to reach 500 for his career, signed a minor league contract with the Montreal Expos on Tuesday and was invited to spring training.
Canseco, 37, is expected to join the Expos for their first full-squad workout Thursday. Primarily a designated hitter in recent years, the outfielder will try to make his first NL team.
Canseco signed last June with the Chicago White Sox and hit .258 with 16 home runs and 49 RBIs in 256 at-bats. He played 76 games, almost all of them as a DH.
"He was a free agent and was available, so I thought he was worth trying," Expos general manager Omar Minaya said. "He is a veteran player, a power hitter who still has incentive since he is trying to reach the 500-home run mark."
In the last three seasons, Canseco has played just 13 games in the field. He made two appearances last season.
Canseco is a six-time All-Star and ranks 22nd on the career home run list with 462, three behind Dave Winfield. He is second among active players, trailing only Barry Bonds (567).
Canseco has played for Oakland, Texas, Boston, Toronto, Tampa Bay, the Yankees and the White Sox.
The AL Rookie of the Year in 1986, Canseco was the AL MVP in 1988, the year he became the first player in major league history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season.
Canseco and Fred McGriff are the only players ever to hit 30 home runs in a season for four different teams.