New Sultans of Swap Are Padres, Astros : Baseball: Father and son executives in middle of 12-player deal.

Moving company stock might shoot up today after the biggest baseball trade in 37 years, involving 12 players, two teams and a father and son.

The San Diego Padres and the Houston Astros swapped one-fourth of their regular-season rosters Wednesday in the first deal since owners imposed a salary cap last Friday.

Packing for San Diego are infielders Ken Caminiti, Andujar Cedeno and Roberto Petagine, outfielder Steve Finley, pitcher Brian Williams and a player to be named. If the teams can’t agree on the player by April 30, the Padres get $50,000.

Packing for Houston are outfielders Phil Plantier and Derek Bell, pitchers Pedro Martinez and Doug Brocail and infielders Craig Shipley and Ricky Gutierrez.

Add it up and it’s the biggest deal in terms of players changing teams since Nov. 20, 1957, when the Kansas City Athletics and Detroit Tigers combined for a 13-player trade that included Billy Martin.

However, the Astro-Padre player parade falls short of the record for one trade.

The Yankees and Baltimore Orioles had an 18-player deal after the 1954 season, a trade so big it was announced over a two-week span. Bob Turley, Don Larsen and Gus Triandos were part of that deal.

In any event, Wednesday’s deal deserves its own place in baseball lore, not merely because of sheer numbers, but because of who was sitting in the corners of their respective smoke-filled rooms.

They were Smiths.

San Diego’s general manager is Randy Smith. Houston’s president is Tal Smith, Randy’s father. Afterward, they probably talked about swapping their Christmas gifts.

Randy Smith downplayed the role of his father in the deal.

“Obviously we talked about it as we got closer to finalizing it,” Randy Smith said. “But 99% of the conversations were with (Houston General Manager Bob) Watson.”

If the players’ strike ends, the deal is expected to dramatically improve the Padres, who were 47-70 and had the worst record in the major leagues last season.

Software tycoon John Moores, who is from Houston, bought the Padres Dec. 21 from a group headed by television producer Tom Werner.

The Padres had the lowest payroll in the majors last year at $13.77 million, but they can go up as much as $20 million under the new cap. Houston, which signed Jeff Bagwell to a $27.5-million, four-year deal in November, needs to drop $1.62 million.

The Astros already unloaded pitcher Pete Harnisch and his hefty contract in a trade that brought minor league prospects from the New York Mets.

Tal Smith likes the trade the Astros made with Randy Smith.

“We’ve increased our run production, we’ve improved our pitching depth, we’re a younger team, we have greater control over the players who are coming to us and we improved our condition under the salary cap,” Tal Smith said.

The Padres lose their two leading power hitters, Plantier (18 homers, 41 runs batted in last season) and Bell (14 homers, 54 RBIs).

Caminiti, a first-time all-star in 1994, and Cedeno are expected to strengthen the left side of the infield. With Luis Lopez the heir apparent at second base, Bip Roberts is expected to be moved to left field.

“Bell and Plantier are the kinds of players who can give us protection for Jeff Bagwell and power in the middle of the lineup,” Watson said. “We have always been looking for more pop in the middle.”

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THE TRADE

PADRES GET . . .

* Ken Caminiti (3B)

* Steve Finley (OF)

* Brian Williams (P)

* Roberto Petagine (1B)

* Andujar Cedeno (SS)

* Player to be named

ASTROS GET . . .

* Derek Bell (OF)

* Phil Plantier (OF)

* Pedro Martinez (P)

* Doug Brocail (P)

* Craig Shipley (INF)

* Ricky Gutierrez (SS)