Padres Trade Gossage to the Cubs for Moreland : Reliever Becomes the 10th Member of 1984 Pennant-Winning Team to Leave

Another Padres’ World Series memory was erased Friday night as they traded reliever Rich (Goose) Gossage to the Chicago Cubs in a four-player trade that brought them outfielder/third baseman Keith Moreland, who will play left field.

In the deal that also included a swap of Triple-A players--Padre pitcher Ray Hayward for Cub infielder Mike Brumley--the Padres formally kicked out the old while showing their intentions to reshape with the new. Gossage becomes the 10th Padre from the 1984 National League pennant team to leave the Padres since the end of the 1986 season. Overall, just 8 of 25 players remain on the club’s roster.

“I’m surprised,” Padre outfielder Tony Gwynn said. “Goose was outstanding for us. He was a veteran of the wars.”

Gossage and Moreland were unavailable for comment, but in a trade that had been discussed in various forms since the winter meetings, their roles are obvious.

With the departure of Lee Smith to the Boston Red Sox, the Cubs needed a bullpen stopper.

With the arrival of Manager Larry Bowa, the Padres need more veterans who look and play like him. Gossage, 36, joined the Padres from the New York Yankees in time to lead them to the 1984 World Series. In his four seasons here, he has averaged 21 saves per season. But in 1987, despite moving into second place on the all-time saves list with 289, he had a career-low 11. And for the first time in his career, there were times he could not be used in back-to-back games.

“I know what a lot of people said about him, but I don’t think he ever knew what his role was,” Gwynn said. “They used him so many different ways. He is the best relief pitcher this club has had since I’ve been here, and now our bullpen does not have a leader.”

Moreland, meanwhile, spent last season at third base, playing 150 games there and committing a major league-high 28 errors. But he hit a career-high 27 homers, with 29 doubles, 88 RBIs and a .266 batting average. He has played in two championship series and a World Series.

Moreland, who will be 34 in May, will initially play left field, supplanting Carmelo Martinez. But in his eight-year career, Moreland has played five different positions--left field, right field, third base, first base and catcher.

“I really like the deal,” Bowa said from his home in Bryn Mawr, Pa. “Moreland plays hard all the time, and he gives so many more things I can do.”

Moreland, who will earn $2.5 million over the next two seasons, becomes the highest-paid Padre, but perhaps not for long.

In what might be termed an incredible coincidence, Padre President Chub Feeney has restarted negotiations with Gwynn, whose salary is a line drive from Moreland’s, just $840,000 this season.

Gossage’s departure paves the way for Lance McCullers, 23, to assume the Padre stopper’s role. Last season, in largely a set-up role, McCullers led the team with 17 saves, striking out 126 in 123 innings while walking just 59.

Last season, Brumley, a good fielder, had a 39-game shot with the Cubs when second baseman Ryne Sandberg was injured. He hit just .202 with two doubles and a homer and seven stolen bases.