McKeon Mulling Moves : Baseball: A Padre outfield of Tony Gwynn, Joe Carter and Danny Tartabull? It’s just one of the dreams keeping Jack McKeon awake on the eve of the winter meetings.

Padre Manager Jack McKeon’s eyelids were at half-mast. His throat was sore. His hair was mussed.

It is the eve of the annual baseball winter meetings, and although trade talks won’t begin in earnest until today, McKeon admitted that he’s exhausted.

“I was up all night Friday,” McKeon said. “I just couldn’t sleep. I laid in bed all night just thinking of everything that we’re trying to do.”

Padre owner Joan Kroc, disgruntled with the progress of the Padres’ negotiations in the free-agent market, formally invited McKeon on Friday to participate in the free-agent talks.

Presto, Padre reliever Mark Davis, winner of the National League Cy Young award, has a four-year, $12 million contract awaiting him.

Presto, center fielder Robin Yount of the Milwaukee Brewers, winner of the American League Most Valuable Player Award, has a three-year, $9 million contract sitting in front of him.

Presto, left-handed reliever Craig Lefferts of the San Francisco Giants has a two-year, $2.5 million contract with an option awaiting.

“We’ve got a lot of work in front of us,” said McKeon, who hadn’t even had time to take out a cigar until late Saturday afternoon.

The Padres’ No. 1 priority at the winter meetings remains the signing of Davis, who set a franchise record for the Padres last season with 44 saves.

Refusing to sign Davis to a two-year, $2.8 million contract extension this spring, the marketplace now has forced the Padres to offer a contract that would make him the highest-paid player in the team’s history.

The Padres’ latest offer to Davis is a four-year, $12 million contract, providing him about $2.5 million a season and a $2 million signing bonus.

“I think she (Kroc) has made him a hell of a deal,” McKeon said. “She put her money where her mouth is. She gave Mark Davis lifetime security for his family. It shows good faith that we want to keep the guy.

“Now the decision is up to Mark, to see if he really wants to play for us.”

According to sources, Alan Hendricks, Davis’ agent, told the Padres that Davis is willing to sign immediately if the Padres increase their offer to five years, $17 million, or four years, $14 million.

The Padres’ response, according to a source close to the negotiations: “If somebody gives you that much money, take it.”

The trouble for the Padres is that there are two teams apparently willing to meet the asking price: The Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees.

Hendricks refused to discuss negotiations when contacted Saturday in Houston, saying only: “We’ll do just like we’ve been doing, evaluating carefully as we go along.”

Likewise, the agents for Yount and Lefferts also were noncommittal Saturday, saying that they will sift through all offers during the next few days.

Meanwhile, in the midst of trying to round up free agents, McKeon is determined to set the winter meetings rockin’ in this country-swinging town, hoping to come away with the biggest prize on the trading block.

His name is Joe Carter, and he plays for the Cleveland Indians. Never has he made the all-star team, but he’s averaged 30 homers and 108 RBIs the past four seasons.

Although the Indians dearly would love to keep him, he is eligible for free agency at the end of the 1990 season and has informed the Indians that he doesn’t want to come back.

“We’ve really got no choice but to trade him,” Indians General Manager Hank Peters said.

Said McKeon: “And I’d love to have him.”

Although he’s considered only an average center fielder, he has all the attributes that McKeon relishes: power, speed and leadership.

McKeon even thinks he has the proper furnishings to acquire him. He plans on offering Peters rookie catcher Sandy Alomar, then asking just what else he wants. A couple of prospects? Left fielder Chris James, perhaps? Pitcher Greg Harris?

“I think we can come up with the right mix,” McKeon said.

The trouble, however, is that Peters also will be meeting with at least five other clubs on Sunday and asking for their best package:

* The Angels will be making a bid, offering center fielder Devon White and pitcher Mike Witt as the main attractions.

* The Kansas City Royals are offering right fielder Danny Tartabull and a young pitcher or two.

* The Boston Red Sox are willing to swap left fielder Mike Greenwell for him.

* The St. Louis Cardinals are offering Cleveland a choice of two players among Tom Brunansky, Vince Coleman and Willie McGee.

* The New York Mets are centering their package on starter Ron Darling.

Yes, step right up and make your bid, and then hold your breath as Peters makes his choice.

It’s anyone’s guess who Peters will pick, but the Royals’ General Manager John Schuerholz is telling everyone that they’re the clear-cut favorite.

He may be right.

Most of the clubs who have entered the sweepstakes say that they want Carter to sign a long-term contract before any deal is finalized, but the Royals are willing to take the gamble of Carter playing out his option.

There’s one simple reason for their confidence. Carter’s wife and in-laws are from Kansas City, and he makes his home in Leawood, Kan. during the off-season. And, oh yeah, his house just happens to be three blocks away from Schuerholz’s.

“He’s saying to everybody he’d love to play for us,” Schuerholz said, “and we’re telling everybody we’d love to have him.”

If the Padres are unsuccessful in their bid to land Carter, they will pursue option B. They’ll go after Ellis Burks or Greenwell of the Red Sox, Glenn Braggs of the Brewers or Tartabull.

McKeon’s game-plan is calculated and risky, but this is his dream:

An outfield next season consisting of Tony Gwynn in right field, Carter in center and Tartabull in left.

Impossible?

Try this: The Padres send Alomar, Chris James and either Thomas Howard or Jerald Clark to Cleveland for Carter. The Padres then turn around and answer the Royals’ asking price for Tartabull by sending pitcher Greg Harris and second baseman Joey Cora to Kansas City.

Hmmm. Can you imagine the middle of an order consisting of Gwynn, Jack Clark, Carter and Tartabull?

“That would be awfully nice, wouldn’t it,” McKeon said as his face broke into an expansive grin.

There are plenty of other options the Padres are considering, of course. They’ve got their eyes on right fielder Von Hayes and pitcher Jeff Parrett of the Philadelphia Phillies and center fielder Dale Murphy and shortstop Jeff Blauser of the Atlanta Braves.

Also, they could add such free agents as center fielder Fred Lynn of the Detroit Tigers and third baseman Ken Oberkfell of the San Francisco Giants to strengthen their bench.

“We don’t have a whole lot of options, because there’s not many guys we can trade,” McKeon said. “But we do have one bullet. One big bullet. And we’re going to use it.”

That bullet, of course, is the fact that he has two top-quality catchers. There’s all-star catcher Benito Santiago, who has already won one Gold Glove and is expected to win another this week. And there’s Alomar, who is considered a stronger defensive catcher than Santiago and is projected as an all-star.

Either is expendable, although Alomar is the most-likely to depart. McKeon would keep Santiago, if given the choice. Besides, most clubs would rather have Alomar simply because of the savings.

Santiago is eligible for arbitration, and is expected to receive $800,000 to $1 million for 1990, but Alomar won’t be eligible for arbitration until after the 1992 season, and free agency after 1995. And if you don’t think that’s a huge consideration, just take a look at the contracts signed in the past week.

“I’m optimistic something will get done this week,” McKeon said, “but we’re not going to trade him (Alomar) just to trade him. We still have all through spring training. If I can’t get it done now, I’m not going to be put in a panic situation.

“But for a couple of days, I think we’re all going to be at a log-jam waiting for the outcome of the Carter talks. I’d like to know something real early in the week, whether we can do this thing or whether we can’t.

“Who knows what will happen really, but you know me, we’ll be out there listening to everyone who wants to talk to us.”