PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK : Emergence of Scott Coolbaugh Might Make Presley Expendable

Jim Presley isn’t going to pretend he likes what is happening. He simply smiles, keeps his mouth shut and waits to see what will transpire.

When Presley walked into the Padre clubhouse Saturday and saw third baseman Scott Coolbaugh on the other side of the room, he knew exactly what it meant. He was out of the starting lineup again. This time, it might be for good.

Presley, who opened the season as the Padres’ starting third baseman, has been waiting for the phone to ring. He expects to be traded soon. If he’s not traded, he’ll likely be released. Something, perhaps quickly, he believes, is going to happen.

“It’d be crazy to say I don’t think about it,” said Presley, who’s hitting .132 with five RBIs. “I look at the box scores each day and see what’s happening. I know there are some teams that still have problems at third. And I’m sure the Padres are calling them.”

Presley, who signed a one-year contract in February with the Padres, is the odd man out. Coolbaugh, hitting .412 in his first five games, already has as many hits and only one fewer RBI in 17 at-bats than Presley accomplished in his 53 at-bats. Garry Templeton will be the backup third baseman. And Paul Faries, Bip Roberts and Marty Barrett also can play the position.

This is why when Barrett comes off the disabled list, perhaps as early as May24, Presley likely will be the one leaving.

Besides his problems at the plate and in the field, there’s also a matter of Presley’s contract. He signed a guaranteed contract for $500,000. But a clause in his contract stipulates that if he still is on the team July 7, he’ll receive a prorated salary of $800,000 the second half of the year.

“I’m sure everything will be taken in consideration,” Presley said. “But you have no control over it, so why worry about it. I’ve seen it before. And I’ve seen it again. What can you do? It’s their decision. It’s not like I can write my own name in the lineup.” How miserable was the Padres’ recently completed 2-7 home stand? Take a look at those who struggled:

Paul Faries: .000 (0-7)

Shawn Abner: .063 (1-16)

Darrin Jackson: .154 (2-13)

Thomas Howard: .176 (3-17)

Jim Presley: .176 (3-17)

Benito Santiago: .188 (6-32)

Tony Fernandez: .212 (7-33)

Tony Gwynn: .265 (9-34)

Bip Roberts: .278 (10-36) Cincinnati Reds Manager Lou Piniella could look at the bright side, saying his team is only two games out of first place. He could say that being .500 in the National League West hardly should be a concern considering that everyone in the division is having their problems.

But Piniella is worried. Although no one may run away with the division such as his team did a year ago, he predicts that this will not continue long.

“It’s not going to stay this way forever,” said Piniella, whose team opens a three-game home stand tonight against the Padres. “Somebody is going to break out of the pack. Somebody’s going to get hot.

“We can’t continue to play around .500, that just won’t get it done.”