CLEVELAND, April 18 (UPI) -- Righthander Blake Stein has signed a minor league contract with the
Cleveland Indians.
In his career, he has been traded for Mark McGwire and released by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Stein was released by the lowly Devil Rays at the end of spring training after signing as a free agent in December. He spent the previous 3 1/2 seasons with the Kansas City Royals, who acquired him from the Oakland Athletics in a deal for Kevin Appier.
Stein, 29, first became a household name as a Double-A prospect on July 31, 1997, when the St. Louis Cardinals sent him and two other pitchers to Oakland for McGwire.
While he showed promise in the low minor league levels, Stein has not blossomed in the major leagues, going 21-28 with a 5.41 ERA in 117 games, 66 starts. He was 0-4 with a 7.91 ERA in 27 games, 25 out of the bullpen, last year.
He will report to extended spring training in Winter Haven, Fla., before being assigned within the organization.
