PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / BOB NIGHTENGALE : Any Talks With Santiago, Myers are On Hold Until After Draft

The Padres will probably not negotiate with potential free agents Benito Santiago or Randy Myers until after the expansion draft Nov. 17, said Joe McIlvaine, Padres general manager.

“We’ve decided to wait because of the expansion draft,” McIlvaine said Wednesday. “If we signed one or both of the players, we’d have to protect them. It’s better to wait until after the draft, and then see what we’ll do.

“I don’t think anyone’s going to jump out and sign anyone before the draft, anyway.”

Although the Padres probably won’t try to sign Santiago as a free agent, they are undecided on Randy Myers. Despite Myers’ sluggish start, he has been successful in 11 consecutive save opportunities and has 24 saves this season.

“He’s doing exactly what I thought he’d do,” McIlvaine said. “I thought he’d get 30 to 35 saves, and I’m sure he’ll do it. I think he’s done a fine job for us.”

If the Padres do attempt to sign Myers, they’ll probably offer him a two-year contract somewhere in the neighborhood of $6 million.

Meanwhile, it’s unknown if Santiago will remain in a Padre uniform the remainder of the season. The Montreal Expos have sent a scout to scrutinize Santiago, and remain hopeful of working out a trade before the Aug. 31 deadline, when playoff rosters are frozen.

“We’ll just have to see what transpires,” McIlvaine said.

Just wondering dept: If the Padres don’t sign Santiago and Myers, and let Craig Lefferts go, is it possible they’d pursue outfielder Barry Bonds in the free-agent market?

“I can unequivocally say, ‘No,’ ” McIlvaine said. “We just can’t afford him.”

Padres Manager Greg Riddoch, wondering again about his job security: “I’ve been living on borrowed time for 2 1/2 years. I’m getting used to this. What am I going to do?”

The Padres will leave Andy Benes as their scheduled starter today against the Braves’ Charlie Leibrandt, but Riddoch said they might decide to skip rookie Frank Seminara and start Bruce Hurst on Sunday.

Just how rare was it that the Braves’ starters lost back-to-back games?

It has not occurred since June 26-June 27, when Steve Avery and Charlie Leibrandt lost to the Cincinnati Reds.

Just four times this season have the Braves’ starters lost back-to-back games, and only once have they lost three in a row.

Atlanta second baseman Jeff Treadway, who has started only two games this month and is batting .215 this season, says he hopes he can be traded before the 1993 season.

“I feel like my career has really gone down the last couple of years,” he said, “and I don’t see it being rejuvenated here. I’m a .285 career hitter and I hit .320 last season. I would never do anything to hurt a club I was playing for, but there has got to be a time when I start thinking about my career.

“I want to be playing. I hope at some point it may be here, but if not, then somewhere else.”

Around the basepaths: Why have the Minnesota Twins dropped out of first place in the AL West? Well, for starters, Kirby Puckett and Kent Hrbek of the Minnesota Twins have combined for one homer since June 28. . . . Now that Charlie Hough has 200 victories, will he go for 300? “I don’t think so,” he said, “201 will be good.” . . . When Terry Matthews of the Philadelphia Phillies finally wins a game, it will be the longest time period between victories since Mike Norris went seven years between victories for the Oakland Athletics. Matthews’ last victory was Sept. 9, 1988, for the St. Louis Cardinals. . . . Just how bad has the Phillies’ pitching been recently? Terry Mulholland is the first Phillie pitcher to record double-figure victories in back-to-back seasons since Shane Rawley in 1986-1987. . . . The 24,168 season tickets sold by the Colorado Rockies is the most in baseball history. They’re expected to join the Dodgers, Orioles and Blue Jays as the only teams in baseball to draw 4 million fans. . . . Houston Astro infielder Casey Candaele on the influx of golf in baseball clubhouses: “You don’t see me playing golf during the baseball season. Sometimes you wonder if we’re a baseball team or on the PGA tournament.”