http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports...1s9padres.html

Done shopping for a starting outfielder, Padres General Manager Kevin Towers returned to San Diego last night and announced that holdover Dave Roberts suits him just fine.

"Roberts is going to be our leadoff hitter and our left fielder," Towers said after returning from the winter meetings in Dallas.

The Padres discussed Roberts in trade talks with the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Washington Nationals. But Towers said that Roberts, who has made 48 career starts in left field, will replace Ryan Klesko, who is moving to first base.

Roberts, 33, lost his center field job last month when Towers traded for Mike Cameron. Towers said Ben Johnson, a right-handed batter, can keep Roberts fresh by picking up some starts in left.

Further review
The Padres received several unfavorable reviews for Wednesday's trade that sent second baseman Mark Loretta to the Red Sox for reserve catcher Doug Mirabelli. The Padres were constrained by a payroll budget. Towers would not disclose the projected Opening Day payroll, but by all appearances it won't be much more than last year's April baseline of $63.3 million.
The Loretta trade saved about $1.75 million.

"We needed a catcher," Towers said. "We wanted an experienced catcher, somebody who's been in the postseason. Mirabelli's done that. We looked at the free-agent market for catching. We weren't going to go there from a salary standpoint."

Towers said he's eager to see what Bobby Hill and rookie Josh Barfield can do in Loretta's stead. "We wanted to get a little bit younger if we can, and they're going to get a chance," he said.

Ramon Hernandez, the club's primary catcher in 2004-05, received a four-year contract worth $27.5 million from the Baltimore Orioles yesterday. Hernandez's agent, Eric Goldschmidt, said the Padres showed no interest in negotiating after early April. "Ramon wanted to stay here," Goldschmidt said. "For circumstances beyond his control, he couldn't. It was just a very, very peculiar set of circumstances."

Notes
Catcher Benito Santiago is planning a comeback and his agent, Gregg Clifton, said the Padres are his first choice. The Padres signed Santiago out of Puerto Rico in 1982. He will turn 41 in March.

Towers said he's interested in signing first baseman J.T. Snow as a hedge against Klesko's neck and back ailments but has yet to talk to Snow's agent. The San Francisco Giants on Wednesday cut ties with Snow, their regular first baseman the past nine years. He will turn 38 in February.

Towers said two right-handed pitchers chosen yesterday in the Rule V draft are intriguing prospects to win jobs in spring training. A candidate for the No. 5 starting job, Seth Etherton, 29, has gone 8-6 with a 6.08 ERA in parts of four major league seasons. The Padres paid cash for reliever Steven Andrade, 27, after Tampa Bay drafted him third. Andrade was 3-2 with a 1.97 ERA for the Los Angeles Angels' Double-A club. His high strikeout ratios were part of the allure.

The Padres also picked up four players in the minor league phase of the Rule V draft. Among the six they lost in that phase was $850,000 bust Edgar Huerta, a left-handed reliever they had signed out of the Mexican leagues.

By excelling last season and entering a soaring free-agent salary market for relievers, strikeout artist Rudy Seanez priced himself out of the Padres' plans for 2006. "We would have liked to have him back," Towers said after the club declined to offer him arbitration. "They felt they had much better offers and I told them they should take it."

Former Padres infielder Craig Shipley – the scout who suggested that Towers trade for Jason Bay – has become a key member of Boston's front office. Loretta could follow suit with the Padres when his playing career ends. Towers said he discussed Loretta's post-career plans with the player before dealing him. "He would be a tremendous asset," the GM said. "He probably has a lot to offer as an instructor or scout or in the front office."
Interested, but haven't talked to Snow's agent yet? Must not be THAT interested...