Padres acquire Walker for 3rd

By: BRIAN HIRO - Staff Writer | Tuesday, August 1, 2006 1:34 AM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO ---- Even after the passage of the 1 p.m. nonwaiver trading deadline Monday, the Padres aren't done searching for an everyday third baseman.

In the meantime, however, they plan to continue to try to win games the same way they have the past few seasons ---- on the strength of a bullpen that they believe is better and deeper than their National League West rivals.

Deciding that he wasn't ready to part with coveted setup man Scott Linebrink, whom many clubs had sought in trade dialogue, Padres general manager Kevin Towers instead set his sights lower. He acquired veteran infielder Todd Walker from the Chicago Cubs for minor-league pitcher Jose Ceda, strengthening the Padres' offense without weakening their relief corps.

"The majority of our wins are decided by one or two runs," Towers said. "We don't have a rotation that consistently pitches deep into ballgames, so most of our games will be decided by the bullpen. We feel our bullpen is superior to every other team in the division, and we feel it should be the deciding factor in the division."

The Padres lead the NL West by one game over Arizona entering a three-game series against Houston that starts tonight at Petco Park.

Towers pursued a deal Monday that would have put Astros third baseman Morgan Ensberg in a Padres uniform for the series and returned Linebrink to the team that waived him in 2003.

The Padres considered Ensberg, who hit 36 home runs last season and is scheduled to come off the disabled list today, the only third baseman on the market worth sacrificing Linebrink for. But the Astros decided they wanted offense, not pitching.

The New York Mets were Linebrink's most ardent suitors, offering pitchers Heath Bell (an Oceanside native) and Oliver Perez, who was acquired from Pittsburgh earlier Monday in a trade for another ex-Padre, outfielder Xavier Nady. The Padres would have used both as relievers down the stretch, then tried to convert the struggling Perez back to a starter in the offseason.

"We decided Linebrink was too difficult to part with," Towers said. "We felt that deal would have helped us in the future."

Helping in the present, the Padres hope, is Walker, a 33-year-old whom Towers has valued for several years. Chiefly a second baseman, Walker hasn't played third since his second season in the major leagues, in 1997 with Minnesota, but he said he'll give it the old college try.

"If I can't do it, it's not going to be from a lack of effort," Walker said. "I'm going to go over there and give them everything I've got. They deserve at least that."

Towers said Walker, a left-handed hitter who owns a .297 career average against right-handers, will probably fall into a platoon at the position, with switch-hitters Mark Bellhorn and Geoff Blum expected to collect most of the at-bats versus lefties. The three players are combining to replace third baseman Vinny Castilla, who was released by the Padres on July 19.

Walker is reputed to be below average defensively, but Towers thinks that his biggest problem ---- throwing, according to Padres scouting reports ---- can be helped by the presence of slick-fielding first baseman Adrian Gonzalez.

Walker's true value is at the plate. A former All-American and first-round pick out of LSU, he has a .289 lifetime average with five seasons of at least 35 doubles. With the Cubs, he was batting .277 with six home runs and 40 RBIs in 318 at-bats; he also had more walks (38) than strikeouts (27).

Walker preceded Bellhorn as the second baseman for the Boston Red Sox, and in 2003 he hit .283 with 13 homers, 38 doubles and 85 RBIs. He was sensational in the playoffs that year, batting .349 with five homers in 12 games.

"This guy is one of the toughest outs in the game," said Towers, who sought opinions from Boston GM Theo Epstein and current Padres and former Red Sox reliever Scott Williamson before making the deal. "He's a hitter. He can flat-out hit."

The Padres will remove a position player from their roster today to make room for Walker.

Towers said he will continue to monitor the trade market for hitters, although any player must now pass through waivers before the Padres can acquire him. Because Walker is perhaps better suited as a bench player, third base remains a target area for the Padres.

"We're not done," Towers said. "We're looking to add more offense."

Ceda is a 19-year-old from the Dominican Republic who was 2-0 with a 5.09 ERA for the Padres' affiliate in the Arizona Rookie League.

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

PADRES ON DECK: vs. Houston

+ WHERE: Petco Park

+ PROBABLE PITCHERS:

Today ---- LHP Andy Pettitte (9-11, 5.18 ERA) vs. RHP Jake Peavy (5-10, 5.01), 7:05 p.m.

Wednesday ---- TBD vs. RHP Woody Williams (4-2, 3.69), 7:05 p.m.

Thursday ---- TBD vs. RHP Clay Hensley (6-8, 4.46), 12:35 p.m.

+ TV: 4 SD

+ RADIO: XPRS (1090 AM, 105.7 FM), XEMO (860 AM, Spanish)

+ UPDATE: Forget a return trip to the World Series. The Astros, who were swept last fall by the Chicago White Sox, would do well to salvage a winning record. They come to San Diego a season-worst seven games under .500 at 49-56 and 9 1/2 games behind St. Louis in the National League Central. Houston has been particularly bad away from Minute Maid Park, as its 19 road victories are tied for third fewest in the league. ... The Padres will miss the rotation turn of future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens, whose best start since joining the team in late June was spoiled by a bullpen collapse Sunday against Arizona. Closer Brad Lidge served up his seventh home run of the season, two more than he allowed all last year. Lidge has a 5.77 ERA. ... Astros manager Phil Garner hasn't named starters for the final two games of the series. Candidates for Wednesday include RHPs Chris Sampson and Matt Albers, two young pitchers who were called up from Triple-A within the past couple of weeks. Sampson threw seven shutout innings in his only start of the season, June 7 against the Chicago Cubs. Because Houston was

off Monday, Garner might start RHP Roy Oswalt on his normal four days of rest Thursday. ... Pitching on the third-base side of the rubber and using a sharper change-up, Peavy threw seven strong innings at Los Angeles on Wednesday for his first win since May 28. He's 4-3 with a 2.59 ERA in eight career outings against the Astros. ... Pettitte is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two games versus the Padres, but he will start for the first time at Petco. ... Houston 3B Morgan Ensberg, whom the Padres considered acquiring before the trade deadline, could be activated from the disabled list in time for tonight's opener. ... The Astros lead the NL in fielding percentage (.988) and double plays turned (116). ... Astros 1B Lance Berkman ranks second in the league with 93 RBIs to go along with a .318 average and 28 homers.