ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Greg Vaughn is not thinking about how many home runs he can hit. His focus is on winning.

	Vaughn

"I'm not here to see if I can break Mark McGwire's record ... that's so far-fetched," Vaughn said Friday. "Why waste your energy thinking about it?"

Vaughn agreed Monday to a $34 million, four-year contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, where he'll be in a lineup with Vinny Castilla, Jose Canseco and Fred McGriff.

"I'm here to try and win," Vaughn said. "I'm looking forward to a lot of wins. Who cares if I hit 30, 40 home runs. You win 95, 96 games, that's the main concern."

Vaughn got his first close look at hitter-friendly Tropicana Field before the Devil Rays held a news conference.

"You still have to put the bat on the ball, and you have to continue doing that playing here also," he said. "If you're strong enough, it doesn't matter where you're playing."

Vaughn hit 95 home runs the past two seasons, fourth most in the majors. The Devil Rays' big four hit 144 homers last season, one fewer than Tampa Bay's 1999 team total.

"It's definitely the most powerful lineup I've ever been a part of," Vaughn said. "I've been in some pretty good lineups, but as far as four guys capable of hitting 40-plus home runs, I don't think you can get much stronger than that. It will be a lot of fun."

Tampa Bay will become just the eighth team in major league history to begin the season with four players who have hit 35-or-more homers in a season.

More importantly, the Devil Rays hope to improve on last season's 69-93 record.

"To win championships at the major league level, it takes first and foremost championship caliber players," Devil Rays general manager Chuck LaMar said. "The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have signed such a player in Greg Vaughn.

"Every now and then, a player comes around who not only performs himself, but has that unique ability to elevate the players around him. Greg has shown those attributes throughout his major league career."

Vaughn's deal calls for salaries of $7.75 million, $8.25 million, $8.75 million and $9.25 million, $14 million of the money is deferred for four years: $2.75 million next year, $3.25 million in 2001, $3.75 million in 2002 and $4.25 million in 2003.

The deferred money will be paid out from 2004-07.