D'Rays Give Canseco $3M Deal

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays picked up a $3 million option today to keep Jose Canseco for next season.

The 35-year-old slugger was having one of his better seasons before being sidelined for six weeks because of back surgery to repair a herniated disc.

He was leading the AL with 31 homers and had been selected as the league's starting designated hitter for the All-Star game when the injury put him out of the lineup from July 10 to Aug. 20.

Canseco's only home run since returning from the disabled list, the 429th of his career, was a game-winner last week against Detroit.

Canseco, batting .280 with 83 RBIs in 99 games, signed with the Devil Rays as a free agent after hitting a career-high 46 homers for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1998. He earned a base salary of $2 million this year.

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