NOTEBOOK : PADRES UPDATE : But For Whitson’s Bone Spur, Burke Might Have Been a Padre

Padre starter Ed Whitson, who might have been traded to the Montreal Expos if he had remained healthy, underwent arthroscopic surgery Monday night in Birmingham, Ala., to remove a bone spur from his right elbow.

The surgery was performed by Dr. James Andrews, who earlier in the day did an arthrogram that confirmed the presence of a bone spur.

Whitson, who likely will miss the remainder of the season, will remain in Birmingham until Thursday, when he begins his rehabiliation process.

The Padres, according to Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, had trade talks with the Expos in an attempt to acquire Tim Burke, offering a “veteran pitcher.”

One source close to the negotiations said that the Padres offered starter Dennis Rasmussen to the Expos, but were turned down. Instead, the Expos wanted Whitson, but the talks fell apart last week when Whitson was diagnosed with his bone spur.

With Whitson out of the picture, the Expos instead Monday traded Burke to the New York Mets in exchange for starter Ron Darling and minor-league reliever Mike Thomas.

Burke, 32, who has been the Expos’ bullpen stopper the past four seasons, lost his job under Manager Tom Runnells in May. He was 3-4 with a 4.11 ERA in 37 games, becoming a setup man for Barry Jones.

“He just hasn’t been the closer-closer we had hoped he’d be for us this year,” Expo General Manager David Dombrowski said. “With the type of performance he was giving us, we were not willing to provide the financial commitment his contract calls for.

“The Mets are in a different situation.”

Burke is in the second year of a three-year, $6.5-million contract. Yet, the Padres were confident that in a different setting, and new surrounding, Burke could have returned to form, allowing Craig Lefferts and Larry Andersen to be setup men.

“We thought he could be resurrected,” McIlvaine said, “but it just didn’t work out.”

The Expos, according to a source, plan to keep Darling only long enough to trade him to a pennant contender in August. Darling, who earns $1.8 million, is eligible to become a free agent at the end of the season.

“I have no idea whether he’d sign here,” Dombrowski said. “I haven’t even talked to him yet. He very well may be traded before the end of the year, we’ll just have to wait and see.”

The Padres’ trade talks with the Chicago White Sox involving Shawn Abner also ended when the White Sox traded infielder/outfielder Cory Snyder to the Toronto Blue Jays for minor-league outfielder Shawn Jeter and a player to be named.

“We just didn’t have much interest in Snyder,” McIlvaine said. “He wouldn’t have gotten much playing time with our young outfielders, although maybe he could help us at third base. But it scared us the way he’s regressed the last three years.”

PADRES AT A GLANCE

FIRST INNING

Expos--DeShields led off and singled to left. Martinez singled to left, DeShields taking third. Calderon singled to center, DeShields scoring, Martinez stopping at second. Walker struck out. Galarraga struck out, Martinez stole third, Calderon stole second. Foley was intentionally walked. Fitzgerald struck out. One run, three hits, three left. Expos 1, Padres 0.

THIRD INNING

Expos--With one out, Calderon walked. Walker homered to right-center, his seventh. Galarraga bounced to pitcher. Foley struck out. Two runs, one hit. Expos 3, Padres 0.