Castilla is Padres' first catch

By: BRIAN HIRO - Staff Writer | Thursday, November 3, 2005 11:16 PM PST ∞

SAN DIEGO ---- On the same day Kevin Towers cemented his future with the organization that drafted him, the Padres' general manager got to work on changing the face of the National League West champions.

Making the first trade of the baseball offseason for the second year in a row, Towers sent pitcher Brian Lawrence to the Washington Nationals late Thursday for veteran third baseman Vinny Castilla. The 38-year-old slugger will step into the position that was held by free agent Joe Randa at the end of the season after Randa took over for the struggling Sean Burroughs.

"In the 10 years that I've been GM, I was tired of Vinny hitting home runs against us," said Towers, who earlier in the day took himself out of the running for GM vacancies with the Red Sox and Dodgers.

Castilla has hit 33 of his 315 career homers against the Padres, his most versus any opponent.

The native of Oaxaca, Mexico, began to show signs of age last season, his first in Washington, as he batted .253 with 12 homers and 66 RBIs. But during a 15-year career that includes two stops apiece in Atlanta and Colorado, Castilla has proved himself as one of the best run-producing and defensive third basemen in the game.

Castilla inflicted the bulk of his damage in the thin air of Colorado. He made the All-Star team with the Rockies in 1995 and '98 as part of a five-year stretch in which he averaged 38 homers and 112 RBIs.

After two unproductive seasons in the American League with Tampa Bay and three solid ones back in the NL with Houston and the Braves, Castilla returned to Colorado in 2004 and belted 35 homers while leading the league with 131 RBIs. His 144 RBIs in 1998 are an NL record for a third baseman.

On defense, Castilla ranked second in the league at his position last year with a .970 fielding percentage.

"Defensively, he's one of the best in the game," Towers said. "I think he will bring leadership and serve as a role model for some of our Hispanic players."

Towers said the trade will be a financial wash after the Padres pick up the tab on an escalator clause in Lawrence's contract. Lawrence is guaranteed $4.05 million, while Castilla has $3.2 million remaining in his deal, which expires after next season.

In trading for Castilla instead of making a run at Randa, who now will sign with another team in free agency, Towers pointed to Castilla's superior track record of run production. As for Burroughs, the Padres will explore trade possibilities, but could also bring him back as a reserve.

"We lose a little bit of leverage now," Towers said, referring to Burroughs. "People realize he doesn't quite fit for us. It ties our hands a little bit."

Lawrence was viewed as expendable because of the Padres' surplus of starting pitchers. Jake Peavy, Adam Eaton, Woody Williams and Chan Ho Park are likely holdovers from 2005, and young prospects Clay Hensley and Tim Stauffer could join the rotation. Towers also said the free-agent market is stronger for pitchers than for third basemen.

Lawrence endured his worst season as a Padre last year, going 7-15 with a 4.83 ERA. The team's Opening Day starter in 2003, the 29-year-old concludes his five-year Padres career with a 49-61 record and 4.10 ERA.

On the free-agent front, the agent for Padres right fielder Brian Giles said the Padres have rescinded their offer to his client, who will be one of the most attractive outfielders on the market.

Joe Bick said Towers took the three-year offer worth more than $7 million per season off the table last Saturday, two days after Giles filed for free agency.

"What (Towers) told me was that they weren't comfortable leaving the offer out there while we were talking with other clubs," Bick said. "It's with the understanding that they would likely make that offer again in the future. The fact that we don't have a Padres offer doesn't concern me. I'm not saying I agree with it, but I don't run the San Diego Padres."

Towers said removing the offer is intended to protect the Padres, so that Giles can't use it as a floor from which to negotiate with other clubs, which he can do beginning Nov. 11.

Bick said he has been contacted by several teams. The Cleveland Indians, who drafted Giles out of Granite Hills High, and St. Louis Cardinals are believed to be among them.

"The way I look at it, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to leave (the offer) out there for other teams to beat," Towers said.

Towers added that he hasn't pulled his offer to closer Trevor Hoffman (two years, $10 million), but he didn't elaborate as to why.

PADRES NOTES ---- The team officially hired Glenn Hoffman, Trevor's older brother, as its third-base coach and Tye Waller as first-base coach. The Padres also named Paul Navarro as the replacement for assistant trainer Jim Daniel, who was fired after the season for undisclosed reasons. Navarro joined the major-league training staff late last season after working two years with Single-A Fort Wayne. ... RHP Jake Peavy won the Clyde McCullough Award, recognizing the Padres pitcher of the year, for the second year in a row at the team's postseason banquet Thursday night. In other honors, RF Brian Giles was named Padres MVP, 3B Joe Randa was selected as Favorite New Padre by the Madres, and RHP Woody Williams won the Chairman's Award for contributions to the community. At the minor-league level, OF Ben Johnson was named player of the year and RHP Jared Wells pitcher of the year. Johnson batted .312 with 25 home runs and 83 RBIs with Triple-A Portland before making the Padres' postseason roster, and Wells went 13-8 with a 3.68 ERA in 163 1/3 innings between Single-A and Double-A. Rick Renteria, who guided the Lake Elsinore Storm to a 70-68 record, won the Jack Krol Award as top minor-league manager.

Contact staff writer Brian Hiro at b_hiro@hotmail.com.