If Padres Can Answer Correctly, a Pennant Could Be Their Prize

Almost in spite of themselves, the Padres remain in the thick of the race in the National League West as the calendar flips to June.

What happens in these next 30 days could well determine whether 1989 becomes cause for celebration or frustration.

There are, of course, a few questions critical to the near and distant future for this ballclub.

Needless to say, I have the answers.

Will the Padres ever make THE trade?

The trade, as we have come to know it over the past few months, would bring Dale Murphy to San Diego from Atlanta. That trade will not be made, and that might be for the best. Murphy’s skills have obviously eroded to the point where he would not be worth what he would cost.

In that case, will the Padres make any trade?

Quite possibly.

How does Jack McKeon feel about it?

“I’ve got to get a couple of hitters,” he said, “but there don’t seem to be any out there.”

There aren’t?

Actually, I can think of a couple who just spent three days in San Diego. If you looked in on the Philadelphia series, you may have unwittingly witnessed a preview of some future Padres.

If the trade winds blow, and they have been very quiet hereabouts, Benito Santiago (or Sandy Alomar Jr.), Eric Show (or Dennis Rasmussen) and John Kruk (or Carmelo Martinez) could be headed for the Phillies in exchange for Von Hayes, Chris James and either Steve Bedrosian or Jeff Parrett.

To my mind, Hayes and James are much better than fair hitters. I would suggest that some serious conversations with the Phillies might be in order.

Who would play where for the Padres?

Hayes, one of those guys who can play anywhere, would play center field. He is also one of those guys who can bat almost anywhere, though he would likely be the No. 2 hitter the Padres need.

With Hayes in center, Tony Gwynn would be moved back to his comfort zone in right, and Jack Clark would return to first.

James can play third base, but I would expect that the Padres would use him in left field. The third base committee, chaired by Luis Salazar, would remain intact.

Either Bedrosian or Parrett would be the right-handed complement to Mark Davis in the bullpen.

Wait a minute. Who would replace Show (or Rasmussen) in the starting rotation?

You could move Greg Harris from the bullpen into the starting rotation until Andy Benes gets here.

Andy Benes? Isn’t he still in double-A, in Wichita?

Sure is, but don’t be surprised if his bus never stops at triple-A Las Vegas . . . at least not for long. He has been so dominant at double-A, it might well be worth taking the chance on whether he just might be ready for the big leagues. Jim Abbott has done it. Pencil him into the rotation for mid-to-late July.

If Santiago is traded, is Alomar Jr. ready to step in as catcher?

He doesn’t necessarily need to. He could be brought along as Mark Parent’s backup. Parent does the job on defense, and I would be curious how many home runs he might hit as a regular rather than Mr. Daytime.

Still, wouldn’t the Padres be surrendering quite a bit in a trade such as this?

Of course. You can’t trade three minor leaguers and a player to be born later to get the quality of players the Phillies would be surrendering. This trade would be a blockbuster.

Is anyone else available?

You can always start with the New York Yankees. Anyone who has recently incurred the wrath of George Steinbrenner is likely available.

These days, third baseman Mike Pagliarulo falls into that category. Put a left-handed hitter with that kind of punch behind him in the batting order, and Jack Clark might not walk 250 times this year after all.

Whatever happened to the Mark Langston deal?

The Padres were underbid by Montreal. The Padres offered quality players with experience, a commodity Seattle apparently did not want.

Remember that the Mariners’ owner is George Argyros. That’s right, the same chap who wanted to buy the Padres two years ago. When Montreal offered three minimum-wage pitchers who are years away from being eligible for free agency, the deal was sealed.

So Langston is history?

Not so fast. He will still be a free agent after the 1989 season, and there is little likelihood he will opt to stay in Montreal.

In the winter of 1989-90, I look for Joan Kroc and Peter O’Malley to go purse-to-wallet in the biggest bidding war in the history of free agency.

I’d place my bets on the purse in that one, bringing Langston to the Padres in 1990.

So this is your blueprint?

Sure is. It should take care of the next two years . . . and beyond.