Strawberry signed in 1985 for five years plus an extra year at the option of the Mets.
Strawberry, unwanted by other teams, signed with the Yankees again in 1996 and showed he still had power.
Strawberry signed with the Dodgers as a free agent.
The Giants say Strawberry signed an addendum to his contract that said the team could release him if he tested positive.
An official with another major league team said Strawberry would sign Friday.
Strawberry in 1985 had signed a five-year contract for $5.4 million, or $7.2 million if the Mets pick up the option year in 1990.
But both Viola and Strawberry had signed their original contracts happily.
When Strawberry, for example, signed in 1985, he was 23 years old and had played just under two seasons in the major leagues.
In November 1990, Strawberry signed his five-year, $20 million contract with the Dodgers.
"We just won the pennant," said one Yankee official after Strawberry signed Monday.