First baseman Derrek Lee lives in Los Angeles. Friends say he wants to resume his major-league career. The Dodgers are looking for any offensive help they can find.

A natural fit?

Not necessarily.

The Dodgers are lukewarm to the idea of signing Lee, preferring to explore other options first, according to a major-league source.

Lee, a free agent, has yet to play this season. He turns 37 on Sept. 6, and some scouts and executives believe that he has slowed down both offensively and defensively.

The counterpoint: Lee hit .337/.398/.584 with seven homers in 113 plate appearances after getting traded from the Orioles to the Pirates last season, despite missing three weeks with a fractured left wrist.

The Dodgers, currently using James Loney and Juan Rivera at first, rank next-to-last in OPS at that position in the National League.

Lee would require time at Triple A, and possibly could be ready in two to three weeks. But the Dodgers evidently would prefer more certainty, and perhaps a more immediate solution.

— Ken Rosenthal