LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers appear to have filled their vacancy at first base Friday night, reaching an understanding with Fred McGriff on the structure of a one-year contract.

	McGriff

The completion of an agreement is subject to McGriff passing a physical examination next week, Dodgers executive vice president and general manager Dan Evans said.

Terms were not announced.

"If Fred completes the agreement by passing the physical, he will be a tremendous addition to this ballclub,'' Evans said. "He has had a spectacular career with offensive numbers that are worthy of Hall of Fame consideration.

"He is coming off another solid season and would add more power to our lineup.''

McGriff hit .273 with 30 homers and 103 RBI in 146 games for the Chicago Cubs last season.

The 39-year-old McGriff has been model of consistency and durability during a big-league career that began in 1986.

He has played at least 144 games in each of the last 15 seasons except the strike-shortened 1994 campaign; has hit 30 or more homers 10 times including three of the last four seasons; driven in 100 or more runs eight times including each of the last four years, and hit .300 or better four times.

A left-handed hitter, McGriff has a lifetime batting average of .286 with 478 homers and 1,503 RBI in 2,347 games. He is 22 short of the 500-home run plateau, reached by only 17 players in history.

"We would be excited to be a part of a special and historic season for him as he closes in on 500 career home runs,'' Evans said.

McGriff ranks fourth among active players in home runs behind Barry Bonds (613), Sammy Sosa (499) and Rafael Palmeiro (490).

He has driven in 80 or more runs in 15 straight seasons, trailing only Hank Aaron, who accomplished the feat 17 times.

And he is third among active players in RBI, behind only Bonds (1,652) and Palmeiro (1,575).

McGriff is a five-time All-Star one of only three players with 200-plus home runs in both leagues, joining Mark McGwire and Frank Robinson.

And he is the only player in big-league history to hit 30 homers for five teams.

McGriff has played in the postseason five times -- four with the Atlanta Braves and once with Toronto. He has a .303 average in 50 playoff games with 10 homers and 37 RBIs, and hit .279 in the 1995 and 1996 World Series for the Braves with four homers and nine RBI in 12 games.

The signing means Shawn Green will remain in right field. Green volunteered to move to first after Dodgers sent longtime first baseman Eric Karros, second baseman Mark Grudzielanek and $2 million to the Chicago Cubs on Dec. 4 for catcher Todd Hundley and outfielder Chad Hermansen.

McGriff played with the Blue Jays from 1986-90; the San Diego Padres from 1991-93; the Braves from 1993-97; the Tampa Bay Devil Rays from 1998-2001, and the Cubs for the past 1½ seasons.

He was originally drafted by the New York Yankees in the ninth round of the 1981 free-agent draft.

The Dodgers had been negotiating with first baseman-outfielder Cliff Floyd, who agreed to a deal with the New York Mets earlier Friday.