LOS ANGELES – A day after saying that he could use a right-handed bat, Montreal Expos manager Frank Robinson received his wish on Wednesday when the Expos signed Todd Zeile to a free-agent contract. The Expos will pay Zeile the league minimum. With a little over five weeks to go in the season, Zeile will make around $65,000. Zeile arrived from New York with his family on Wednesday afternoon and was inserted into the starting lineup and played third base against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Zeile is being reunited with general manager Omar Minaya. Both were with the Mets, when Minaya was the assistant general manager and Zeile was the everyday first baseman.

The Zeile signing comes when the Expos are on a six-game winning streak and only four games behind Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card race. Zeile was released early this week by the New York Yankees, where he hit .210 with six home runs and 23 RBIs. The right-handed hitting Zeile, a .266 lifetime hitter, will be playing for his 11th team in his Major League career, which started in 1989. His best season was in 1993, when he hit .277 with 17 home runs and 103 RBIs for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Zeile can also play first and should add power to the Expos lineup and leadership inside the clubhouse. "Hopefully, he will give us a little more offense at (third base)," Robinson said. Zeile said that he signed with the Yankees before the 2003 season in hopes of getting his first championship ring. But after the Yankees acquired Aaron Boone before the trade deadline, it became obvious to Zeile that his playing time, which was scarce before the deal, was going to be next to nothing.

"When it came down to it, I realized that winning a ring -- if you don't feel like you are contributing, it seemed a lot less significant to me," Zeile said. "I was thankful for the opportunity to come (to the Expos). The team is still in the hunt. They are young and eager and I'm going to get a chance to play. Right now, that's really what I want." Zeile said that other clubs were interested in his services, but he felt Montreal was his best opportunity.

Zeile said that he brings experience to the table and the fact that he has postseason experience. Zeile has played during the month of October with the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles and Mets. In fact, he was the Mets' everyday first baseman when they faced the Yankees in the 2000 World Series. "So some of that veteran presence could be of help. Hopefully, I can bring a run-producing bat," Zeile said. "I've been relatively untested, especially in recent times. If I can get in there and get some at-bats and get some consistency, I can bring some run production in the middle of the lineup."

Members of the Expos expressed their happiness over that fact the Expos helped themselves in the pennant stretch. "He's been around a long time. He going to help us. He has playoff experience, World Series experience. He knows what it takes to get to another level. It's good for us," shortstop Orlando Cabrera said. "Frank, (and Minaya) are trying to make a push to get the Wild Card. We need another right-handed power hitter in the lineup and that's what he is. Hopefully, Zeile will come in and do the job that we ask of him," closer Rocky Biddle said.

Zeile will be the fifth player to play third base for the Expos this season. Fernando Tatis started the season as the everyday third baseman, but he hasn't played since mid-June because of inflammation in his chest wall and, according to assistant general manager Tony Siegle, isn't expected to be back this season. "We don't expect him back this year, but obviously on Sept. 1, you could expand the roster in which case, we will see what happens," Siegle told MLB.com. "But we want Tatis to get well. He's not there yet. But we got games to win and we had an opportunity to get a veteran-leading-type guy like (Zeile). We were fortunate enough to land him."

Since Tatis went down, Jamey Carroll, Jose Macias and Edwards Guzman have seen time at the position, but none has provided the power that Zeile is expected to provide. With Zeile on the roster, it means that Carroll will have a reduced role and come off the bench. Jose Macias will continue to be the super sub of the team. He will see time in the outfield as well as other infield positions. Guzman's time was already reduced after catcher Michael Barrett went on the disabled list in late June. Guzman is now the No. 2 catcher behind Brian Schneider. "Jamey, Macias and Guzman have been outstanding defensively, but I'm looking for a little bit of punch. Hopefully, Zeile can give us that," Robinson said. Adding Zeile, Robinson believes, strengthens the Expos' bench. "It makes us a better team, I think, with the other guys on the bench. It gives me more options and we can do more things." To make room for Zeile, the Expos optioned pitcher Scott Downs to Triple-A Edmonton and transferred Dan Smith from the 15-day to the 60-day disabled list. Smith is on the DL because of a torn right rotator cuff. Downs pitched his first big-league game in since the 2000 season on Aug. 10 against Houston Astros and gave up runs in three innings in an 8-2 defeat.

Bill Ladson is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Major League Baseball – 20 August 2003