Gary Sheffield was an ex-Tiger for all of 10 minutes yesterday when there was talk of him joining the Tampa Bay Rays. After all, he’s a Tampa native. Draw up the paperwork.

That was the mindset throughout the former Devil Rays era. This provincial, small-town community always was willing to welcome home a past-his-prime player such as Wade Boggs, Fred McGriff, or Doc Gooden. Heck, you didn’t even have to be a star. Dave Eiland, come on down. If the D-Rays couldn’t sign good players, they at least signed familar ones.

These days, the Rays are the toughest roster in baseball to make. They’re struggling to find a spot for Jeff Niemann, a former first-round pick who would be snapped up in 10 seconds should he be placed on waivers. There’s no room for Jason Isringhausen, who seems to have rediscovered his closer’s form. Even David Price, the top prospect in baseball, is starting the year at Triple-A in part because of the logjam. Things would be really hairy if B.J. Upton, Fernando Perez and Chad Bradford were not beginning the year on the disabled list.

Even if Sheffield were still in his prime and willing to play for a reasonable price, he would be a bad fit.

The Rays have bent over backward to clear their clubhouse of distractions and problem children. Last year’s success was due mostly to much-improved defense and the maturation of young talent, but ridding the room of the likes of Delmon Young and Elijah Dukes was important. There was not a bad guy or me-first character in the clubhouse, though Troy Percival’s departure once he was left off the post-season roster remains unexplained.

Few players come with more baggage than Sheffield. It’s not that he’s a bad guy. Teammates love him. He’s even good with the media. It’s just that wherever he’s been, he’s managed to become a malcontent and frustrate managers. His nickname is "Always Something" because there’s always something bothering him. Somebody has always done him wrong or shown him a lack of respect. He floats more conspiracy theories than Oliver Stone. He always seems to carry a chip on his shoulder, believing he’s underpaid, even though he’s been one of the most handsomely compensated players of the last 15 years — $154 million for his career, according to www.baseball-reference.com.

Sheffield has been a very good player but there’s always been a perception that he’s underachieved. He’s finished in the top five of the MVP voting just three times. Even though he’s played on mostly well-heeled, winning teams, he’s reached the World Series just once, with the 1997 Marlins. He spent five seasons with the Braves and Yankees and played in a league championship series just once. Given the success of the two teams over the last 15 years, that’s almost impossible to do.

At no point in Sheffield’s career would he be considered one of the game’s 10 best players. Ten most talented? No doubt. Fastest bat speed? No question. But 10 best? Not quite.

The Rays do not need a designated hitter, having signed 32-year-old Pat Burrell. That leaves the outfield. Before the steroid era, it was all but unheard of for anyone over the age of 35 to play the outfield on a regular basis. As recently as 1995, Brett Butler, then 38, was considered Ponce de Leon. (Butler, at 165 pounds, is one of the few players we can definitely say did not use steroids.)

Teams are realizing that older outfielders are huge defensive liabilities. Some, like the Yankees, never get it, trotting out the likes of Bernie Williams, Kenny Lofton, Johnny Damon, and Hideki Matsui. The Rays, more than any other team, have been built around defense, which is another strike against Sheffield.

If the Rays want to sign Sheffield to launch his 500th home run as a hometown Ray, fine. The team can DL Gabe Gross with a mysterious ailment. But is Sheffield going to agree to the equivalent of an NBA 10-day contract? If there’s one thing we know about Sheffield, it’s that he never believes his skills have eroded, never concedes that he’s not worth a huge contract.

The Rays have reached this point by being steadfast in their talent evaluation, not letting it be colored by sentiment or hometown considerations. That’s why Rocco Baldelli is in Boston, Trever Miller in St. Louis, and Cliff Floyd with the Padres. It’s why Gary Sheffield should be welcomed back to The Trop this season as a favorite son of the Tampa Bay area.

But only to throw out a first pitch.