Rays sign outfielder Cliff Floyd

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Tampa Bay Rays signed veteran left-handed hitting outfielder Cliff Floyd to a one-year contract with a club option for 2009, the baseball Web site mlb.com reported on Monday.

Floyd will look to get playing time against right-handed pitching as an outfielder or at designated hitter following a deal that sent Tampa outfielder Delmon Young to Minnesota and added pitcher Matt Garza to the Rays' staff.

Floyd, 35, hit .284 with nine home runs and 45 runs batted in for the Chicago Cubs last season, posting a .373 on-base percentage in 108 games.

The career .279 hitter is a veteran of 15 major league seasons, including tours with the Expos, Marlins, Red Sox, Mets and Cubs.

Floyd made the National League All-Star team in 2001 when he hit .319 with 31 homers and drove in 103 runs.

(Writing by Larry Fine; editing by Trevor Huggins)