Padres Get Brown for 3 Minor Leaguers

The San Diego Padres sent three minor league players to Florida on Monday for pitcher Kevin Brown, the fifth significant player let go by the Marlins since their World Series victory.

The Padres didn’t have to give up Matt Clement, their top minor-league pitcher who was coveted by the Marlins.

Brown, a right-hander who will be 33 next season, was 16-8 with a 2.69 earned-run average in 33 starts last season with 205 strikeouts in 237 1/3 innings. He will make $4.8 million next season, then become eligible for free agency.

The Padres went from first place in the NL West in 1996 to last place this year with a franchise-worst 4.99 ERA. Towers, who has rebuilt San Diego’s bullpen, had been talking with the Marlins about Brown for nearly a month.

Florida gets pitcher Rafael Medina, obtained by San Diego earlier this year from the New York Yankees in the Hideki Irabu deal; Steve Hoff, another minor-league pitcher; and first-base prospect Derrek Lee.

Since winning the World Series, Florida has traded outfielder Moises Alou to Houston, closer Robb Nen to San Francisco, outfielder Devon White to Arizona and first baseman Jeff Conine to Kansas City.

Marlin owner Wayne Huizenga is negotiating to sell the franchise to a group headed by team president Don Smiley and has said he will try to cut payroll from $54 million to about $20 million.

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Andy Benes’ $30 million, five-year agreement with the St. Louis Cardinals was voided, and a grievance is expected to be filed.

Randy Levine, head of the Player Relations Committee, determined the agreement was made after the Dec. 7 deadline. The players’ association has scheduled a Thursday meeting with the player committee and anticipates a grievance this week, said Gene Orza, the union’s No. 2 official.

Dana Eischen, baseball’s new arbitrator, would hear the case Friday in New York. If Eischen upholds the player committee, the Cardinals wouldn’t be able to negotiate with Benes until May 1 at the earliest.

Under baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, teams cannot negotiate with their former players who became free agents past Dec. 7 unless they offer salary arbitration. Benes’ expired contract with the Cardinals contained a provision that prevented the team from offering the pitcher arbitration.

The player committee maintains Cardinal General Manager Walt Jocketty informed the committee at 12:30 a.m. that he had been unable to complete the deal, then called later to say he thought he could get it done.

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The Kansas City Royals agreed to terms with third baseman Dean Palmer on a one-year, $5.75-million contract. The agreement includes a player option for 1999 that could be worth $4.75 million.

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The Baltimore Orioles signed veteran relief pitcher Norm Charlton to a minor league contract.

Baltimore lost closer Randy Myers as a free agent to the Toronto Blue Jays and likely will use Armando Benitez as a stopper, but will look at Charlton in that role.

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Travis Fryman agreed to a $28-million, five-year contract with the Cleveland Indians. The deal also includes a club option for the 2003 season that could boost the third baseman’s contract to $33,375,000.

Cleveland obtained Fryman, 28, from Arizona in a trade that sent Matt Williams, who wanted to live closer to his children, to the Diamondbacks. The Indians also received left-hander Tom Martin and $3 million.

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The Minnesota Twins signed free-agent pitcher Mike Morgan, 38, to a one-year contract with an option for 1999. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Morgan went 9-12 with a 4.78 ERA in 31 games last season for the Cincinnati Reds. He led Cincinnati in starts (30) and innings pitched (162).

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The Seattle Mariners signed catcher Rick Wilkins, 30, to a one-year contract for $425,000.