Padres Trade Ashby for Three Phillies

While other teams talked about Ken Griffey Jr., the San Diego Padres traded ace Andy Ashby to the Philadelphia Phillies for three pitchers Wednesday night.

The Padres received Carlton Loewer, Steve Montgomery and prospect Adam Eaton for Ashby. The trade was announced at the general managers’ meetings at Dana Point.

Earlier in the day, Cincinnati General Manager Jim Bowden said he made five proposals involving Griffey that Seattle rejected, and the Mariners made three proposals that the Reds rebuffed.

Bowden wouldn’t say how many players were included in the offers, but he gave a hint at what it would cost to get Griffey.

“It would make us noncompetitive,” said Bowden, who put together a team that lost a one-game playoff to the New York Mets for the National League’s wild-card spot. “Instead of 96, we think we’d win 79. They’re asking for all of our best players.”

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Cincinnati’s Jack McKeon was voted National League manager of the year, receiving 17 first-place votes, nine seconds and three thirds for 115 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Assn. of America.

Atlanta’s Bobby Cox was second with 98 points.

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Dick Pole signed a two-year contract to become pitching coach of the Cleveland Indians, dealing a definite blow to the Angel pitching staff and a potential blow to the Angels’ hopes of re-signing free-agent pitcher Chuck Finley.

Pole guided a very marginal and injury-riddled Angel staff to a 4.79 earned-run average in 1999--fifth best in the American League--and developed very close ties with Finley, the veteran left-hander who plans to test the market before considering a return to Anaheim.

“Chuck thinks the world of Dick Pole,” said Tim Shannon, who was recently retained as an agent for Finley. “Whether that will have a bearing on what team Chuck signs with, we’ll see.”

The contracts of Angel coaches expired Oct. 31, leaving them free to pursue other jobs, and Pole interviewed with Seattle, Milwaukee, Cleveland and the Chicago Cubs before settling on the Indians.

New Angel General Manager Bill Stoneman decided when he took the job that he would not hire any coaches without the input of the team’s new manager, a position Stoneman expects to fill by early next week.

But the delay cost the Angels a highly regarded pitching coach, and it may cost them third base coach Larry Bowa and batting instructor Rod Carew, who have interviewed with Seattle.

Meanwhile, Bob Fontaine resigned as the Angels’ director of scouting and player personnel to take a job in the Chicago White Sox’s scouting department.

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A record-setting defensive year for the New York Mets was rewarded when shortstop Rey Ordonez and third baseman Robin Ventura were named to the National League Gold Glove team. Ordonez won his third consecutive Gold Glove and Ventura won his sixth.

San Francisco’s J.T. Snow won at first base for the fifth consecutive season, and Cincinnati’s Pokey Reese won at second base for the first time.

Atlanta pitcher Greg Maddux won his 10th consecutive Gold Glove.

Philadelphia catcher Mike Lieberthal was a first-time winner.

In the outfield, Colorado’s Larry Walker won for the fifth time, Arizona’s Steve Finley won his third Gold Glove and Atlanta’s Andruw Jones won for the second consecutive season.

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Rick Aguilera decided to stay with the Chicago Cubs, exercising a $3.5-million player option for next season.

Chicago also exercised a $1-million option on catcher Jeff Reed, who hit .258 with 28 RBIs.

Seattle, meanwhile, agreed to a $12.9-million, three-year contract with catcher Dan Wilson, and the Oakland Athletics agreed to a $600,000, one-year contract with 42-year-old right-hander Doug Jones.

Left-hander Denny Neagle, who went to Cincinnati in the Bret Boone deal, said he won’t file a trade demand.

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Miles Prentice’s $75-million bid to purchase the Kansas City Royals was rejected. Baseball owners voted 29-1 in September to table the bid, saying they wanted the team to pursue other alternatives.