by WebHamster » Sat Feb 28, 2004 2:00 pm
Mesa, AZ (Sports Network) - The Chicago Cubs and first baseman Derrek Lee agreed Saturday to a three-year contract. The Cubs acquired Lee from the Florida Marlins in exchange for first baseman Hee Seop Choi and a minor league player to be named later in November.
The 28-year-old Lee earned $4.25 million last season for the World Series champion Marlins. He avoided arbitration in January when he agreed to a one- year deal worth $6.9 million with the Cubs.
Lee posted his first career "20-20" season in 2003, stealing 21 bases and hitting 31 homers to go with 31 doubles, 92 RBI and a .271 batting average. He has belted at least 20 homers in each of his last four seasons and last year captured his first Gold Glove Award. He also has 40 steals over the last two years, the most by any major league first baseman.
This past season was an incredible one for Lee. Not only did he hit the ball well, but he was tied for third among National League first basemen with a .996 fielding percentage, committing only five errors. He is a career .994 fielder at that position.
Lee had big hits in Florida's Game 6 and Game 7 victories over the Cubs in the National League Championship Series this year. He stroked the game-tying double off Mark Prior in the eighth inning of Game 6 and then put the Marlins ahead for good in the fifth inning of Game 7 with a single off Kerry Wood.
A right shoulder injury slowed Lee's play in August of last year, but he still managed to hit .341 the final month of the season to help Florida win the NL wild card.
Lee, who started his career in San Diego in 1997 before being traded to Florida prior to the 1998 season, is a career .264 hitter with 130 homers and 421 RBI.
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