PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / BOB NIGHTENGALE : Bruce Hurst Think He Might Be Next High-Salaried Player to Go

The Oakland A’s warm-up shirt hangs in Padre starter Bruce Hurst’s locker. Someone put it there a month ago as a joke, but Hurst continues to take it with him wherever he goes.

If Hurst wasn’t claimed on waivers in August, he wonders aloud now if he’d be wearing an Oakland uniform these days.

Of course, the way Hurst figures it, he probably will be wearing another uniform next season as it is.

Considering the financial state of the Padres and the disclosure by Padre General Manager Joe McIlvaine that more players might be traded in the off-season to lower the payroll, Hurst believes his might be next high-priced salary to go.

“You hate to think about it,” Hurst said, “but you’ve got to wonder if I’ll be back. I know I do. If they do trade me, at least I’ll be going to a team that wants me. What can I do?”

Hurst (13-7) has one year remaining on a contract that will pay him $2.75 million. He has a $3 million option in 1994, or the Padres can buy him out of the contract for $400,000.

“It’s obvious they’re trying to cut salaries,” Hurst said. “The thing is I think we’ve got good team here, but if we can’t afford it, the decision’s out of our hands. I don’t think we’re that far away from being a first-place team.

“I don’t think I’ve been on a team that’s had more good guys on it and talented players, but they’ve got the right to do what they want.”

The way Hurst sees the situation, the nucleus of the Padres consists of Gary Sheffield, Fred McGriff, Andy Benes, Greg Harris, Tony Gwynn and Darrin Jackson. Everyone else, he says, could be gone.

“Those are the guys you don’t want to give up on,” Hurst said. “You don’t know what will happen to the rest of us.

“I really wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t cleared (waivers). Who knows, maybe they’ll trade all of us.”

Infielder Tim Teufel, who started at second Tuesday, stenciled in No. 11 in the back of his cap in tribute to pitcher Craig Lefferts, who was traded Monday to Baltimore.

“It’s sad, but it’s the best thing for Lefty,” Teufel said. “When an organization shows no no interest in re-signing you, it’s best to prove your worth to another organization. This could be a great opportunity for him to pitch under the microscope of a pennant race. I just wish it was for us.”

Right fielder Tony Gwynn on the abundance of ex-Padres playing elsewhere in the major leagues: “I’ve got so many friends out there trying to win divisions, it’s tough to know who to root for.

“But it was tough to see Lefty go. Personally, it stinks. Now I’m the only guy here left from the ’84 (pennant-winning) team.

“It makes you feel old.”

Manager Greg Riddoch, hoping to change the luck of shortstop Tony Fernandez, batted him sixth in the lineup Tuesday instead of his usual leadoff spot.

“He’s been hitting the ball so hard the second half, but always at someone,” Riddoch said. “I just wanted to change his luck.”

It may have worked. Fernandez went one for two with a single and a walk. Jackson, who batted leadoff in place of Fernandez, was hitless in four at-bats.

The Padres called up right-handed reliever Gene Harris to replace Craig Lefferts on the roster. He’s expected to remain in the bullpen while Frank Seminara joins the rotation.

Also, catcher Dann Bilardello was activated from the disabled list, giving the Padres three catchers. Bilardello had been on the disabled list since July with two herniated discs in his neck.

“I feel good; I haven’t had any symptoms at all,” Bilardello said. “Right now, I’ve got no questions I can play next year. I know I’m not a major cog here, but with the way the situation looks, things might be different.”

No pitcher in the National League has dominated the Padres this season like Cardinal starter Donovan Osborne, who pitched seven shutout innings Tuesday.

Osborne (10-6) is 3-0 against the Padres this season with a 1.23 ERA. He yielded only six singles Tuesday against the Padres.

“Donovan could be 4-0 against us,” Riddoch said. “The one time we beat him, we didn’t get him until the ninth inning. He certainly owns us.”

When McGriff hit a ball only two feet away from the center-field fence Monday night, he remembered why he despises Busch Stadium. “This is the only place in the league where I’ve never hit a homer,” McGriff said. “This place kills me.”

Jackson, who was charged with an error in the fourth inning Monday when Ray Lankford hit a double that squirted by him, called the official scorer during the game to complain about the ruling. It’s the first time in his career, he said, he has done so.

“I just didn’t think it was right,” Jackson said. “It was so wet out there, I had to get down just to try to block it.”