SAN DIEGO -- The Padres entered the free-agent market Monday with a firm offer to center fielder Kenny Lofton. Bidding for marquee pitcher Greg Maddux, however, will have to wait.

Padres general manager Kevin Towers said he expects to know "within 48 hours" whether his offer to Lofton will be enough to land the leadoff hitter. The wait on Maddux will be much longer.

Towers said it will be weeks before he knows whether he will be a bidder for Maddux. The Atlanta Braves severed ties with the 289-game winner Sunday when they did not offer salary arbitration. That means the Padres won't have to surrender a draft pick should they sign Maddux, but it did not prompt immediate negotiations.

"Certainly, we have an interest in Greg Maddux," Towers said. "With his experience and ability, he would be a great addition. I'd be quite comfortable seeing him out on the mound in Petco Park.

"But with the situation I have, it's better for us to be patient. If we wait a couple weeks, some other teams may have spent their dollars on an Andy Pettitte or Kevin Millwood."

The Padres, insiders said, have sent word to Maddux through unofficial channels that they hope to sign him even if they don't start negotiations right away.

Essentially, Towers is playing free-agent gamesmanship. Maddux, 37, has made it clear that he hopes to play close to his Las Vegas home, which puts the Padres in competition with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Anaheim Angels. Why start the bidding before those clubs show their hands?

Towers has another reason to wait. He has committed about $42 million to the 15 players under contract for 2004. Since the Padres have a target payroll in the mid- to high-50s, that leaves only some $13 million to $16 million for the rest of the roster, including the three pitchers he hopes to add (two starters, one left-handed reliever).

By the time the upcoming winter meetings conclude, however, Towers might have more payroll flexibility. He has talked to the New York Mets about moving newly acquired outfielder Terrence Long and pitcher Kevin Jarvis (combined $7.95 million in 2004) for outfielder Roger Cedeno ($5 million). And reliever Jay Witasick ($1.75 million) figures to be shopped after the addition of right-hander Akinori Otsuka.

Otsuka figures to get a salary above $1 million when his deal is completed this week. He took a physical Monday in San Diego, then had dinner with the Padres' brass in the evening. Towers said Padres doctors found "normal wear and tear, nothing that would hold things up."

The GM hopes there is no hold-up with Lofton, either. Numbers were not forthcoming, but it would be a surprise if the Padres offered as much as $3 million a year. The 36-year-old earned a $1,025,000 base salary last season, for which he delivered a .296 batting average, .353 on-base percentage and 30 steals combined with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs.

Lofton, who reportedly has drawn interest from the New York Yankees, has a career .373 OBP in 13 seasons. He has played in the postseason with the Indians, Braves, Giants and Cubs and twice has reached the World Series.

"He's a winner," Towers said. "He's a good fit for us. We're hoping he feels this is a good situation. Obviously, it would be hard for us to bid against the Yankees. He has told us he has a preference for the West Coast."

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