Not Each Mystery is Solved : Padres: Stillwell, Worthington fill infield holes, but team still has questions as it enters spring training.

Now are you satisfied? After spending the whole winter predicting the Padres were the ’62 Mets incarnate, do you now believe that these dudes in the brown pinstripes will be at least respectable in the National League West?

The Padres, who spent the winter being ridiculed for their a) cheapness, b) stupidity, c) ineptitude or d) all of the above, certainly have quieted the skeptics these past five days.

They report today to Yuma, Ariz., with an everyday second baseman in Kurt Stillwell and a third baseman in Craig Worthington who only three years ago was The Sporting News’ American League Rookie of the Year.

Granted, the Padres still have no idea who will play left field. They’re uncertain how Tony Fernandez will adapt to the leadoff role. And they still haven’t been able to find a No. 5 hitter to protect Fred McGriff.

“But we’re not in as bad shape as people were painting it,” said Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager. “I’ve been telling people all winter that the off-season lasts from October to April, and now maybe they’ll believe me. The key is patience.

“I feel much better about this team than I did a year ago. We don’t have nearly the questions we did. We’ve got strong pitching, and if we can have (career-average) years from our veterans, and have a young player or two come up and do well, you never know.

“I think the whole question for the Padres is will they score enough runs.”

Indeed, the Padres have few questions with their pitching staff. With the exception of determining whether Ricky Bones is capable of being their No. 5 starter, the staff is virtually set.

“This team is more pitching-rich than any team I’ve been on,” said veteran starter Bruce Hurst. “As far as I’m concerned, our bullpen’s the strongest suit. Offensively, we just need to play six innings, maybe seven, and we’re set.

“People make it out like we have so many question marks, but we’re more solid than were last year. Last year’s big-league tryout camp may prove to be profitable.”

So now that the winter game of Padre-bashing is over, are there any questions? You bet:

Question: If Stillwell is that good, then why did the Kansas City Royals bench him for most of the second half of last year? And how come no one else but the Padres offered him a multi-year contract?

Answer: One at at time, please. The primary reason Stillwell was benched in the second half was that Royals Manager Hal McRae wanted a better defensive player at shortstop. When the Royals were vying to stay out of the cellar for the first time in franchise history, it was McRae who put Stillwell back in the lineup for the last month of the season.

Stillwell may have lasted much longer than expected on the market since because he might have overpriced himself early, seeking a four-year, $13 million deal. He even turned down a one-year, $2.4 million offer from the Royals. The Chicago Cubs also were interested, but Stillwell didn’t want to wait until Monday before finding out if they’d make an offer.

Q: I thought the Padres weren’t interested in Stillwell. McIlvaine said he wouldn’t sign any free agent who would cost him a No. 1 draft pick unless their names were Bobby Bonilla or Danny Tartabull. What gives?

A: McIlvaine changed his mind. The more he kept thinking about the prospect of starting the season with either Paul Faries or Craig Shipley at second base, the more Stillwell started to look like Joe Morgan. Although Stillwell hasn’t played second base since 1987 and has played only 37 games at second in his career, the Padres believe it could be his best position.

Q: How about the budget? We thought the Padres couldn’t afford Stillwell with their self-imposed restraints?

A: Stillwell might be a steal at $1.75 million a year, and the Padres couldn’t pass him up. Besides, they might unload $1.875 million this spring by trading reliever Craig Lefferts. Catcher Benito Santiago, who earns $3.3 million, also is available.

Q: What will happen to Santiago, anyway? Will he be here by opening day?

A: The Padres still haven’t received a trade proposal for Santiago. They expect a few inquiries this spring, but since he’s a free agent at the end of the season, few teams appear willing to make bona fide offers. It’s almost a certainty Santiago will start the season with the Padres, but they probably will assess the situation again in July or August, and if they’re out of the race, will attempt to trade Santiago to a contender.

Q: But he should be happy, right? And couldn’t a happy Santiago translate into a big season?

A: “Everything’s in place for him to have a big year,” McIlvaine says. “He won his arbitration. He’s hoping for a big, big contract. And he’s coming off a big year.”

Q: Now that the Padres have Stillwell and Worthington, will they bother pursuing any other trades in the spring?

A: They still would love to get their hands on another outfielder, preferrably a leadoff hitter. They’ve been rebuked in their attempt to acquire Bernie Williams of the New York Yankees and might try to land Gary Thurman of the Kansas City Royals.

Q: But wasn’t there another outfielder from Kansas City they were trying to get?

A: Shhhhhh , don’t bring up that subject. Tartabull wanted to come to San Diego, but he’s a New York Yankee now.

Q: So what happens to Fred McGriff? Will he get ample protection in the lineup from Santiago? If he walked 105 times last year (26 intentionally), what will happen this year?

A: “I still drove in 100 runs with everybody in the world hitting behind me last year, anyway,” McGriff says. “If guys are on base, guys can’t walk me. It’s not like the American League, where everybody has big boppers, anyway. We’ve just got to find somebody that can lead off for us since I don’t think either Tony wants to do it.”

Q: Wasn’t Fernandez as a leadoff man a foregone conclusion?

A: Fernandez has informed Manager Greg Riddoch that he even wants the leadoff role.

Q: How will he do?

A: Who knows? He batted only .196 as a leadoff hitter last year and .252 in 1990, but Fernandez certainly is the most capable leadoff hitter on the team.

Q: Where will Tony Gwynn bat then?

A: He’ll bat third. Although he’s the best No. 2 hitter on the team and was told he would have batted second until the acquisition of Stillwell, Gwynn’s preference is to bat third and will remain there.

Q: If all that is settled, who will play left field?

A: Your guess is as good as the Padres’. Jerald Clark and Thomas Howard once again will vie for the job, and if neither prove capable, the Padres will make a trade. The Padres, however, are hoping Clark can win the job.

“Jerald Clark has hit .300 in every league he’s beeen in,” McIlvaine said. “I just hope he can hold up better physically. I’d like to give him every opportunity to win it.”

Q: If the pitching is supposed to be so good, does that mean starters Ed Whitson and Hurst are fully healthy?

A: Not so fast. Although both pitchers are optimistic of full recoveries, the truth is that neither know for sure how their arms will respond.

Says Whitson, who underwent elbow surgery last July: “I’m not in tip-top condition with my arm, not by any means. I’ve been throwing six days a week, but I haven’t even thrown any breaking balls. I’ve got six weeks in spring training, and I’m going to baby my arm. I don’t think I ever heard of anybody keepting stats in spring training, anyway?

Says Hurst, who finished the season with a strained elbow: “I’m going to wait until the spring to really start testing it. I’ve been throwing during the winter, but I want to make sure everuthing’s proper before I start letting loose. I’ve got plenty of time.

Q: How about reliever Larry Andersen? Since he didn’t have surgery to repair the bulging and ruptured discs in his neck, will he be all right?

A: “It’s definitely a concern,” Andersen said. “I’ve been doing neck exercises, so that should help. But I really won’t know until I start pitching. It’s not fair to the ballclub to put them through what happened last year. If I have pain, I won’t hesitate to get a (pain-killing shot) and keep on pitching.”

Q: Maybe the most important question of all, how’s the mood of the team? Will there be any contract problems?

A: The only late arrivals in camp this year will be the guys having visa problems, which could delay such players as Fernandez, Ricky Bones and Rafael Valdez. The remaining delicate negotiations involve starter Andy Benes. He must wait one more year until being eligible for arbitration, so he’ll likely be the eighth-lowest paid pitcher on the staff.

Infielder Tim Teufel has gone from being the starting third baseman to being the starting second baseman to perhaps the bench. Yet he still is a serious candidate at third and probably will start two or three times a week at third and second, anyway.

Q: Are the Padres considered a serious contender to win the National League West this year?

A: No, but a year ago, neither were the Minnesota Twins or Atlanta Braves.

Q: So there’s reason to be optimistic this year?

A: That what spring training is all about, isn’t it?