Trade Talks Stall, and So Do the Padres : Baseball: No new acquisitions are on the horizon for Padres, who lose, 4-0, to Dwight Gooden and Mets.

It has become the focus of daily conversation in the Padre clubhouse. The players want to know the latest trade talk. Hey, who’s coming? More important, who’s going?

The Padres, 4-0 losers Saturday night to the New York Mets, know as well as anyone that changes need to be made. It’s no secret to them that they need an everyday third baseman. It’s no mystery they’re looking for more starting pitching. And everyone knows they’re searching for a bullpen stopper.

The Padres were already thwarted in their most serious trade discussions, according to sources, when they attempted to trade pitcher Ed Whitson and second baseman Bip Roberts to the Montreal Expos in exchange for reliever Tim Burke and an outfielder, believed to be center fielder Dave Martinez. Whitson’s elbow surgery, of course, took care of that one.

Everywhere the Padres turn in trade talks, there are stumbling blocks. And unless there’s a dramatic turn of events, no Padre will traded before the July 31 deadline, after which players would be required to pass through waivers.

The Cincinnati Reds apparently no longer have interest in starting pitcher Dennis Rasmussen. The Padres have decided that Roberts will stay put until at least the end of the season. And it’ll be the off-season before the Padres strongly consider trade proposals involving All-Star catcher Benito Santiago.

In the meantime, they’ll keep their eye on the free-agent market. In an intriguing development Saturday, their hopes remained alive of possibly acquiring infielder/outfielder Bobby Bonilla of the Pittsburgh Pirates as a free agent in the off-season.

Dennis Gilbert, Bonilla’s agent, disclosed Saturday that he has ceased all negotiations with the Pirates and will allow Bonilla to be on the open market after the season.

“We have absolutely nothing going with the Pirates,” Gilbert said. “It’s over. We’re not going to talk with them the rest of the season.

“They had their chance, but negotiations are over.”

The Pirates, according to a source, made a last-ditch offer to Bonilla last week that would pay him $16.8 million over four years. It’s the same $4.2 million annual salary that is being paid to Pirate center fielder Andy Van Slyke, but with an additional year on the contract.

Gilbert refused to comment on the rejected offer, saying only, “Never was there a $5 million a year offer for three years as was reported.”

Gilbert also represents another client that interests the Padres--outfielder Danny Tartabull of the Kansas City Royals, who also is eligible for free agency at the end of the season. The Padres turned down a deal during the spring that would have brought Tartabull to San Diego for Bip Roberts. But now, according to a front-office source in Kansas City, the Royals have rejected trade requests from at least three different teams in the past week.

The Royals currently are negotiating with Tartabull, but it’s unknown whether they’ll be successful in signing him. He is seeking a four- or five-year contract, Gilbert said, that will exceed San Francisco Giant first baseman Will Clark’s four-year, $15 million contract.

“There are a group of top sluggers in the game,” Gilbert said, “a small elite group that includes (Jose) Canseco, Bonilla and Tartabull.

“Does Will Clark fit into that class? I don’t think so. He’s a good player, but not in that class.

“Look at Roger Clemens, he’s making $5 million a year. Dwight Gooden’s making $5 million. You can’t tell me that Bobby Bonilla is not as valuable to the Pittsburgh Pirates, or Danny Tartabull is not as valuable to the Kansas City Royals as those guys.

“You’re talking about two players who have excellent chances of being the MVP of their leagues.”

Tartabull entered Saturday’s game batting .329 with 22 homers and 66 RBIs. And Bonilla is batting .308 with 13 homers and 63 RBIs for the Pirates.

Of course, there are still three months remaining before the Padres can even begin to explore the free-agent market. For the time being, they’re simply going to have to live with the present, as much as that may pain them.

The Padres, suffering their 10th shutout of the season, managed only four hits Saturday off Met starter Dwight Gooden during his eight-inning stint. The only team in the National League with more shutouts this season is the Houston Astros, who have 11.

Gooden (11-6) allowed only two baserunners to reach second base the entire game, and he ended a skein in which the Mets’ starters had yielded a 7.36 ERA over the past seven starts.

The most intriguing subplot of the game focused on Met shortstop Garry Templeton, who was making his first start at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium since being traded May 31 by the Padres.

Met Manager Buddy Harrelson invited Templeton to take the lineup card to the plate, which would have provided him with his first face-to-face meeting with Padre Manager Greg Riddoch since the trade. Instead, Jim Snyder, Padre bench coach, presented the lineup card for the Padres.

When Templeton came to the plate in the third inning, he received a smattering of applause for his 9 1/2 years of service with the Padres. Those cheers became quite raucous moments later when Templeton slammed the first pitch off Padre starter Adam Peterson deep into the right-field seats for a homer.

Templeton slowly trotted around the basepaths and muttered something to Padre first baseman Fred McGriff, causing him to laugh aloud.

Was the home run vengeance for a player who was accused of being washed up?

“That was just one man,” said Templeton, referring to Riddoch. “You can’t judge me on just what he had to say. I think my peers knew I could play.”