Tampa Bay releases LHS grad Stevens

Veteran has been with three teams in past two years

Lee Stevens is looking for a pro baseball job again.

Stevens, a 1986 Lawrence High graduate, was released by Tampa Bay Tuesday.

Stevens, 35, is a career .254 hitter with 144 home runs and 531 RBIs in 1,012 games with the Angels, Rangers, Expos and Indians. Last season, he started with Montreal and hit .190 with 10 homers and 31 RBIs in 63 games.

Stevens was included in the Bartolo Colon trade with Cleveland in late June and hit .222 with five homers and 26 RBIs in 53 games for the Indians. He was released after the 2002 season and signed with the Devil Rays last winter.

Stevens, who bats and throws left, is a former No. 1 draft pick of the Angels in 1986. He hit at least 20 home runs five years in a row (1997-2001), and established career highs in games played (152), doubles (35), home runs (25) and RBIs (95) in 2001.

He also spent two seasons in Japan, playing for the Kintetsu Buffaloes.