Where Will He Go?

With all of baseball buzzing about Ken Griffey Jr., let’s look at where he might wind up next season. Rating the Griffey Sweepstakes, ranking all 30 teams’ chances from top to bottom:

1. Atlanta. The best fit. Braves can offer all Seattle would need--Andruw Jones, maybe Kevin Millwood and more--and can pay Griffey all he wants. Plus this: Their spring training camp is a few miles from his home in Orlando, Fla., they’re all-but-guaranteed a playoff spot and they can put him on TV every night on WTBS. And, a perfect setting to chase Hank Aaron’s homer mark.

2. Cincinnati. The hometown favorite. He was a boy when his father starred for the Big RedMachine, and Ken Sr. now coaches there. Small-market Reds could build a team and new ballpark around him.

3. New York Mets. Need to compete on the field, at the ticket office and in the tabloids with the World Series champions. Might take Edgardo Alfonzo, Roger Cedeno and Octavio Dotel to get him. Mets might instead wind up with his Mariners teammate Alex Rodriguez.

4. Seattle. Good chance Mariners will not pull the trigger on a trade that is sure to be unpopular and likely to be risky. Even Griffey says he might be staying at Safeco Field in 2000.

5. Cleveland. GM John Hart is no stranger to blockbuster moves. In just a few years, Albert Belle has left, Roberto Alomar has arrived, and Matt Williams and Kenny Lofton have come and gone.

6. Baltimore. Owner Peter Angelos is desperate to spend all that it takes to get a winner. Cozy Camden Yards would be a great place for Griffey to hit the 358 home runs he needs to break Aaron’s record of 755. A question: Would he or Cal Ripken be known as Junior?

7. Arizona. Bundles of cash in owner Jerry Colangelo’s pocket, a first-place team and a prime player to be paired with--former Mariners teammate Randy Johnson. But would manager Buck Showalter stop Griffey from wearing his cap backwards?

8. Los Angeles. Last winter’s spending spree only bought bad jokes. Bring him to Dodgertown in the spring, and a Fall Classic could follow.

9. Colorado. Coors Field would never be the same. Slumping Rockies need a new dose of excitement. And they can afford him.

10. St. Louis. Mark McGwire fell in love with the city in just a few months. A great place to play, but one problem: He can’t pitch, too.

11. Houston. Plenty of young prospects to make a deal, and more money on the way with the opening of Enron Field. Could help Astros zoom past first round of playoffs.

12. Texas. Sure, Rangers just traded away Juan Gonzalez because they were afraid of what he’d cost as a free agent. With a guarantee he’d stick around, Griffey might be missing piece for another team that can’t get past the opening round.

13. Chicago Cubs. With Don Baylor taking over and Kerry Wood coming back, maybe time for Cubs to open up the vault and put him next to Sammy Sosa.

14. Anaheim. Could name a Disneyland attraction after him -- Junior’s Junction? -- or perhaps feature him climbing the center-field rocks at Angels’ ballpark. Either way, rich Disney needs to pump up volume.

15. Boston. Like him or hate him, GM Dan Duquette has a way of pulling off surprising and successful moves. Red Sox could use power in their outfield, not that they have the resources to get him.

16. Toronto. Carlos Delgado and Shawn Green could be on their way out of a franchise that has lost a lot of its luster. Griffey would bring it back, in a hurry.

17. San Francisco. Playing alongside Barry Bonds and away from Candlestick’s wind at Pac Bell might make this attractive. Still a long way from the East, however.

18. Tampa Bay. OK, if he really wants to play near his home, he could commute.

19. Philadelphia. These Phillies are stocking up a lot of young talent, and he would energize this lineup. Of course, his salary of $8.5 million next year is too expensive.

20. San Diego. Why not? Warm weather, a new ballpark and pleasant fans. But why?

21. Chicago White Sox. Playing second fiddle to Sammy Sosa and the Cubs in the Second City is not what he wants. And, they’re a long way from catching Cleveland.

22. Oakland. Trying to build through the farm system and fringe free agents.

23. Detroit. Got the marquee player it wanted in Juan Gonzalez. It’s 50-50 he’ll stay past next year. Griffey would be long gone when he got the chance to leave.

24. Florida. An easy enough trip to Orlando. But Marlins’ location in the standings is big trouble.

25. Pittsburgh. Barry Bonds was the last time the Pirates could afford a player of his caliber.

26. Milwaukee. The shadow of Bud Selig and seven straight losing seasons is not what he’s looking for.

27. Kansas City. Would bankrupt the Royals of their prospects.

28. Minnesota. Haven’t tried to contend since Kirby Puckett retired.

29. Montreal. Not even if the Expos named their new ballpark Stade Griffey. Still, it would be fun to see him, Vladimir Guerrero and Rondell White romping in the same outfield.

30. New York Yankees. Vowed he would never, ever play in pinstripes as long as George Steinbrenner owned the team. Junior still upset at how his father was treated by the Boss. In early 1986, Ken Griffey Sr. demanded a trade from the Yankees and Steinbrenner responded: “Who’s going to take a 36-year-old outfielder with two gimpy knees making $960,000 a year besides me? Who else is that stupid? He should shut up because I’m tired of him whining.”