‘Twas an exciting time in the Tampa Bay region. After a century of baseball in the region, and decades of attempting to land a major league team, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays were assembling their first roster and in the process of putting the finishing touches on.
The expansion draft had come and gone, with the team immediately acquiring veteran first baseman Fred McGriff to add some extra excitement to the team. As the off-season lagged on, the Devil Rays remained active, bringing several more veterans with the likes of Wilson Alvarez and Roberto Hernandez coming into the fold.