bobrob2004 DTF1 MODERATOR Detroit Tiger
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| Subject: Shortstop Greene heading to St. Louis Thu Dec 04, 2008 10:05 am | |
| Shortstop Greene heading to St. Louis Tom Krasovic (Contact)
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
The Padres and Cardinals have agreed to a trade that will send shortstop Khalil Greene to St. Louis.
The Padres are expected to get pitching in return for Greene, but this move appears to be more about moving Greene's $6.5 million salary in anticipation of a much smaller payroll in 2009.
The move could improve the club's chances of retaining ace pitcher Jake Peavy or gaining leverage in trade talks involving Peavy, who is guaranteed $11 million next year and $63 million over the next four years.
The Padres have shopped Peavy for three months without finding a deal. Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar was part of talks involving Peavy, but as of Tuesday the Padres and Braves had not revisited those talks.
Greene, 28, has been the Padres' primary shortstop since 2004. A first-round draft pick of the Padres in 2002, he batted .213 with 10 home runs and 100 strikeouts last season, one year after hitting 27 home runs and 44 doubles.
His frustration over a season-long hitting slump boiled over July 30, when Greene punched a storage chest in a clubhouse tunnel at Petco Park, fracturing his left hand. He missed the final two months of 2008 because of the injury.
In response to the self-inflicted fracture, the Padres stopped paying Greene's salary in August. The players union intervened on Greene's behalf, and the Padres paid back Greene's salary. The Padres then filed a grievance in an attempt recoup up to $1.47 million from Greene. That grievance has yet to be heard and may now be dropped.
Greene, who can be a free agent next November, turned down a four-year, $29 million offer from the Padres last offseason. Uncertainty over whether the club could retain him after the 2009 season factored into the club's decision to shop Greene, General Manager Kevin Towers said last month.
Utility man Luis Rodriguez replaced Greene last season, but the Padres may look to find a full-time shortstop to replace Greene. | |
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