Analysis : Meetings Over, but Padres Still Have Work to Do

His cigar was the approximate size of a Tater Tot. His smile had been left upstairs, at that last cocktail party, about the time the giggles and ice clinking became louder than the sound of trade talk.

Thursday night had become Friday morning for Jack McKeon, the Padres’ manager/general manager, who sat in a virtually deserted hotel lobby and wondered what had become of his power hitter.

“That’s it, these meetings are over, I’m getting out of here first thing in the morning,” McKeon said as the clock pushed 1 a.m. “I knew it was done a couple of hours ago when Bobby Cox (Atlanta general manager) invited me up for a drink. I get into the room and there’s all this Champagne and beer, and I figure this is a good chance to talk business. All of a sudden here come the New York Mets people and the Toronto Blue Jays people, and I figure, great, maybe we’ll get a 4-way deal out of this or something.

“But then it’s obvious--they are there for pleasure and relaxing and small talk. They ain’t doing no more business. And about then I say, ‘I’m getting the heck out of here.’ ”

Thus with folks back in San Diego giddy over their new Padre neighbors--the Hursts--baseball’s annual winter meetings ended a couple of thousand miles away Friday with McKeon staring at people waxing floors, excited only at thought of getting back home and back on the phone.

In this week that was supposed to turn the Padres into a pennant contender, they indeed signed free-agent pitcher Bruce Hurst, which experts say will be enough.

But McKeon knows better. The Hurst thing was a lawyer thing. His club needs a trade, an honest-to-goodness body swap. And it didn’t get one.

While filling one of their two needs with Hurst, the Padres still have a vacancy at the other need. They still need a power-hitter who can play third base or the outfield. And they still have the expendable player who can bring them such a hitter--catcher Sandy Alomar Jr., the Topps minor league player of the year.

In other words, where he hoped to return home after these meetings with a chance to put up his feet, McKeon still faces work.

He claims he’s not worried--”Why should I be worried, I still think we’ll acquire that other hitter, I know he’s out there somewhere. Hey, we’re just getting started.” But he is also not completely comfortable. He thought he was close to picking up Cub shortstop Shawon Dunston this week until the Cubs filled their needs elsewhere and now will probably keep him.

He thought he was close to Mike Pagliarulo, the Yankee third baseman, but when the Yankees said they would get back to him in 10 minutes Sunday night, 10 minutes became 4 days and he never heard from them again.

He bid for Cleveland’s Joe Carter and Brook Jacoby and was rejected. He bid for the Mets’ Howard Johnson and was ignored.

Montreal told him to stay away from Tim Wallach and Hubie Brooks. Texas told him to stay away from Steve Buechele.

It was a week of short meetings, verbal standoffs and not at all what McKeon had expected.

“I came to improve the team, but I couldn’t get what I wanted,” he said simply. “Nobody offered what I would take, and I ain’t taking just anything. Remember, I’ve got the hole card, I’ve got the young catcher. They’ve got to pay the price.”

Could it be that the asking price for Alomar Jr. is too high? Yes and no.

Yes, perhaps too high for the first week in December. No, not too high for the first week in April, and McKeon said he would wait until then if he had to.

“Patience, patience. One thing I have learned is patience,” he said. “I’ll wait for them. They’ll come, you watch.”

Look for clubs to resume conversations with him next week, and perhaps for that one last deal to be completed by Christmas. In order of importance, here’s who will be calling:

The Atlanta Braves about Dale Murphy

This deal, hot because of the news that Murphy would like to play with buddy Hurst, will stay hot.

It appears the Mets, having bickered for a week with Cox over the value of Murphy, are no longer the leading candidate to pick up the Braves slugger. Even if they were to agree on players--not likely after Mets Manager Davey Johnson accused Cox of “demanding half of our lineup”--it appears Murphy might not approve a deal to New York. Especially not after he saw Hurst sign with San Diego.

“Murph told me he would love to come to San Diego, especially if Hurst signs,” said ex-Padre Dane Iorg, a friend of both men who last week correctly guessed Hurst’s defection from Boston to the Padres.

The Padres initially struggled in their bid for Murphy. Cox claimed he didn’t want Alomar Jr. because of the Braves’ recent acquisition of former Cubs catcher Jody Davis. But with the Mets deal stalled, it now appears the Braves would take Alomar Jr. and use him as trade bait. They would also likely take outfielders John Kruk and Shawn Abner and minor-league star pitcher Greg Harris to complete the deal.

The Seattle Mariners about reliever Mike Schooler and either third baseman Jim Presley or outfielder Mickey Brantley .

This is McKeon’s “back-burner” special, a deal that perhaps could have been made this week but was held up while “patient” McKeon searched for better things.

The original problem was that the Mariners would not give up Schooler, a right-handed reliever who was one of the league’s top rookies and a favorite of Padre pitching coach Pat Dobson when Dobson worked with the Seattle minor leaguers. Last year, in 48 1/3 innings, Schooler struck out 54 and walked just 24 with 15 saves in 40 appearances.

But as the Mariners begin to realize they have no catcher, many think they will agree to give up the kid.

The New York Mets about third baseman Howard Johnson and outfielder Len Dykstra.

Yes, the Mets have said they do not need a catcher and turned the Padres away when they came looking for Johnson earlier. But insiders say the bit about the catcher is a smoke screen to bring Alomar’s price down, that anybody with an aging Gary Carter needs a catcher. And now that Johnson and Dykstra have been initially turned down as a package by the Braves for Murphy, they should be available.

If you really want to think tricky, imagine McKeon picking up those two from the Mets and then packaging them with other outfielders to send to the Braves for Murphy.

The Philadelphia Phillies about third baseman/outfielder Chris James and outfielder Von Hayes.

McKeon wants to pick up James for shortstop Dickie Thon, who has demanded to be traded and will become a free agent in March if his demand isn’t met. But the Phillies have balked, and only recently began mentioning a bigger deal including Alomar Jr.