Stillwell Signs With the Padres : Baseball: Infielder agrees to two-year deal worth $3.5 million.

Joe McIlvaine was showing a front-office assistant how to set up a scouting report Thursday when he reached into his desk for a random notebook with some old reports.

And when he flipped it open to a random page, it read: “Kurt Stillwell, shortstop, Thousand Oaks High School.” And McIlvaine had a good feeling.

It came to fruition Thursday night, when the Padres general manager and Stillwell’s agent, Scott Boras, reached a compromise after extended negotiations. On Friday, Stillwell, a 26-year-old veteran of six major league seasons, signed a two-year deal worth $3.5 million with an option in 1994 tying him to arbitration at the club’s discretion.

Stillwell, who declared free agency last fall after four seasons with the Kansas City Royals, flew from his Kansas City home to San Diego on Friday afternoon, took a hotel room and called Boras.

“I sat down, talked to Scott, he said, ‘You’re a Padre,’ ” Stillwell described the conversation. “I said, ‘Awesome.’ ”

Stillwell said he had serious inquiries though no offers from other teams--including one he wouldn’t identify that asked him to hold off signing until next week--but that San Diego was his first choice all along.

Part of the reason is the presence of Manager Greg Riddoch, who was Stillwell’s manager in the Cincinnati Reds’ farm system after the Reds made Stillwell the second player picked in the June, 1983, draft.

They embraced warmly when Stillwell finally appeared a half-hour late at Friday’s news conference, which seemed a fitting conclusion to the drawn-out negotiations. “You’re gonna love it here,” Riddoch told him.

“He’s a guy I have a lot of respect for, a classy guy, and I really wanted to play for him,” Stillwell said. “I didn’t think they had a need for me, but then they traded Bip Roberts and things worked out. They made me feel wanted. It was a generous offer and I’m just ecstatic.”

Riddoch said, “I think it’s very obvious I’m tickled to death to have him. I was in town last week and several players cornered me to see if we could get him. I’m sure our pitchers are ecstatic about . . . the combination up the middle.”

Stillwell, who has played most of his major league career at shortstop, will move to second base to team with shortstop Tony Fernandez. Riddoch said Stillwell probably will bat second.

Stillwell hit a career-high .265 last season with 51 runs batted in, though he was benched in midseason by Manager Hal McRae and criticized for his fielding.

Stillwell, who saw some time at second for the Reds when he came up to the majors in 1986, said he feels comfortable there and thinks the move will make him a better offensive player.

“I think my game excels when I’m relaxed,” he said. “At shortstop, whenever I wasn’t fielding well, I didn’t hit. I’m fairly streaky--I think I can be a .300 hitter. I’ve shown it in spurts.”

Stillwell has driven in 50 or more runs for four consecutive season.

Riddoch, pointing out the Atlanta Braves went from last place to the World Series when they revamped their infield last year, said the signing of Stillwell plus the acquisition of third baseman Craig Worthington gives the Padres a vastly improved defense. Also in the equation is Tim Teufel, who might platoon at third or end up as the utility man and right-handed pinch hitter.

“It really gives us some flexibility in the infield,” Riddoch said. “What it does for our staff is allow them to give up the ground ball. They don’t feel they have to strike everybody out. We’re a notch better than we were at this time last year. Of course, so are the other clubs, but I feel like we’re in the hunt.”

Padre Notes

General Manager Joe McIlvaine said pitcher Andy Benes had minor surgery this week for a non-pitching related matter and should be ready for workouts in about a week. . . . To make room for Kurt Stillwell on the 40-man major league roster, the Padres designated right-handed pitcher Adam Peterson for assignment. Peterson, 26, is coming off elbow surgery after going 3-4 with the Padres in 1991. The Padres have 10 days to trade him, place him on waivers or release him. . . . Manager Greg Riddoch, an avid fisherman, said he will appear on ESPN’s fishing show at 7:30 a.m. Feb. 29.

Stillwell’s Statistics

YR TEAM AB R H HR RBI AVG ’86 Cincinnati 279 31 64 0 26 .229 ’87 Cincinnati 395 54 102 4 33 .258 ’88 Kansas City 459 63 115 10 53 .251 ’89 Kansas City 463 52 121 7 54 .261 ’90 Kansas City 506 60 126 3 51 .249 ’91 Kansas City 385 44 139 6 51 .265