Tal Smith Will Fill In Temporarily in the Padres’ Front Office

With spring training fast approaching and Jack McKeon preparing to doff his general manager’s cap for a field manager’s, the Padres announced Thursday that Tal Smith has agreed to temporarily expand his duties with the club to include overseeing day-to-day baseball operations.

Smith will fill the role from Feb. 22, the day the Padres’ first full-squad workout is scheduled, until a permanent president is named; Dick Freeman has been acting as interim president.

Meanwhile, McKeon’s trade talks continue to percolate with no results. Pitcher Mark Langston, his target in Seattle, signed a one-year contract with the Mariners Thursday. Atlanta outfielder Dale Murphy, also coveted by McKeon, is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery and still waiting to hear if the Braves are planning to trade him.

Thursday, though, the attention was centered on the Padre front office.

“This is really what I regard as temporary,” Smith said from his office in Houston. “I’ll be pinch-hitting until the Padres select their new president, after which time any further delineation of the baseball responsibility will be his.”

Said Freeman: “He’s filling in . . . most of his roles will be as a general manager on a temporary basis. The job Jack is leaving to go down on the field is a general manager’s job, and that responsibility is being left without anyone to fill it.”

The Padres contracted with Smith after the 1988 season to serve as a consultant to Freeman and the club on contract negotiations, trades, arbitration hearings, minor league operations and scouting department decisions. Smith also is under contract in the search for a new club president.

Smith started his baseball career with the Cincinnati Reds’ organization in 1957. He served as the New York Yankees’ executive vice-president from 1973 through 1975 before becoming the president/general manager of the Houston Astros in 1976. He was with the Astros until 1980 and started Tal Smith Enterprises in 1981.

“I’ve served almost continuously as a consultant for the Padres since May 1981, and I have a good working relationship with Jack McKeon, Dick Freeman and (minor league director) Tom Romenesko,” said Smith, who will also be working with his 25-year-old son, Randy, the Padres’ director of scouting.

Tal Smith said his new role will not lead to the Padres’ presidency.

“Not at all,” he said. “I’ve had plenty of opportunities to get back with a club, but a permanent position (in baseball) is not my preference.

“I’ve done well as a consultant. I enjoy the diversity and the people, and I like the opportunity to do the different things that my independence provides.”

Smith will be spending most of his time in Yuma, Ariz., and San Diego while on assignment with the Padres.

On the trade front, McKeon has had conversations this week with both Seattle and Atlanta but hasn’t turned up anything.

Langston signed a one-year contract for $1.3 million plus incentives with the Mariners, avoiding a Feb. 15 arbitration date. He was looking for a three-year deal, which the Mariners say still may be worked out.

The Padres and the Mets remain the chief competitors in trying to land Langston, who was 15-11 last season with a 3.34 earned-run average and 235 strikeouts, second in the American League to Roger Clemens.

The same two clubs are also wooing Atlanta General Manager Bobby Cox over Murphy.

“We’re just listening now,” Cox said Thursday. “Jack McKeon is very aggressive in his pursuit of Dale Murphy. Jack’s a hard worker--he does his job. We’ve bantered about some names, but we’re still trying to sort out everything.”

The Padres’ prize bait, catcher Sandy Alomar Jr., doesn’t interest Atlanta as much as other teams because the Braves have Jody Davis. Atlanta is looking for a power hitter and a young center fielder.

As a 10-and-5 man--10 years in major league baseball, five with the same team--Murphy has the right to decline a trade. There have been reports that Murphy would veto a trade to the Mets and accept one to the Padres. Cox said he hadn’t spoken with Murphy about that.

“We’re trying to work something out,” Cox said. “If it gets close, we’ll talk to Mr. Murphy and Mr. Turner (Braves’ owner Ted).”

All indications are that Murphy is recovering smoothly from arthroscopic knee surgery Jan. 31. An Atlanta spokesman said Murphy appeared at a team luncheon three days after the surgery without crutches and that he is walking now without a noticeable limp.

Padre Notes

A Braves’ spokesman said Dale Murphy videotaped his knee surgery in case a club interested in trading for him would like to view it. . . . The Padres and new pitcher Walt Terrell are scheduled to go to arbitration Feb. 16. . . . Three pitchers and three catchers have been invited to the Padre major league training camp that opens with workouts Feb. 19. The pitchers are Joe Bitker, Terry Gilmore and Joe Lynch, and the catchers are Mike Basso, Greg Hall and Bob Lutticken. A total of 42 players have been invited to spring training, 36 of whom are on the major league roster.