Pat Clements

Catcher Benito Santiago is expected to become the eighth player on the Padre payroll to earn at least $1 million this season when his agent begins contract negotiations early next week. Santiago is one of five Padre players who are eligible to file for salary arbitration beginning today through Jan. 15. The other four eligible Padre players are: third baseman Mike Pagliarulo ($575,000) and pitchers Calvin Schiraldi ($400,000), Pat Clements ($205,000) and Mark Grant ($155,000).

The Pittsburgh Pirates made their second trade in a week, sending third baseman Steve Buechele to the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Danny Jackson on Friday night. A week earlier, the Pirates acquired outfielder Alex Cole from the Cleveland Indians for two minor leaguers. Buechele played baseball at Servite High in Anaheim and at Stanford before being selected by the Texas Ranger organization in the fifth round of the 1982 free-agent draft.

The Detroit Tigers on Friday traded pitcher Walt Terrell to the San Diego Padres for infielders Chris Brown and Keith Moreland. It was the second major trade in 5 days for the Padres. On Monday, they acquired first baseman Jack Clark and pitcher Pat Clements from the New York Yankees for pitchers Lance McCullers and Jimmy Jones and outfielder Stanley Jefferson. Terrell, a 30-year-old right-hander, probably will replace Jones in the rotation. "I'm very happy with the trade," Terrell said.

On Feb. 21, minutes before he left for spring training, Manager Gene Mauch was asked about the Angels ability to compete in the American League West. "In their best possible condition," he said, "I don't have a worry about it. "Of course, I can't imagine how comfortable I'd feel if I knew we had a quality left-handed relief pitcher." Now, two weeks before the season's start, Mauch seems to have found his No. 1 spring priority, the left-handed relief pitcher.

The New York Yankees got their revenge on the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees, who lost three straight games to the the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium in early June, got even Wednesday by defeating the Blue Jays, 6-1, in 12 innings to complete a three-game sweep at Toronto. Wayne Tolleson singled in Claudell Washington from third base to spark a five-run 12th that sparked the Yankees' victory.

Outfielder Tony Gwynn said key areas for the Padres this season will be the top of the order and the bullpen. Well, in the Padres final exhibition game Sunday in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners, leadoff hitter Bip Roberts drove in both runs with a home run and a single, and relievers Pat Clements, Mark Grant and Calvin Schiraldi faced just 10 batters combined in three innings allowing zero hits.

Padre starter Ed Whitson discovered Thursday that he might be out the rest of the season. Whitson was diagnosed with a bone spur in his right elbow and has scheduled an appointment Sunday to see Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., to determine whether surgery is necessary. Scheduled to start tonight against the Mets, Whitson instead was placed on the 15-day disabled list. Adam Peterson is expected to start tonight, and reliever John Costello likely will be recalled.

Tony Gwynn made his thoughts clear Tuesday before the Padres' workout. In black and white. The sign posted above his locker read: "Please, no more Jack Clark questions. And I don't want to know what he's said. Thank you." Clark has been taking verbal stabs at Gwynn since last season. Recently, Gwynn shot back. And Clark responded. Now, at least from Gwynn's end, the jousting session is over.

Dann Bilardello's single broke a tie in the top of the ninth inning Thursday night, earning the Montreal Expos a 5-4 victory over the Pirates and a four-game series sweep at Pittsburgh. It marked the first time that the Pirates have been swept in a four-game home series since the Cincinnati Reds did so in August, 1980. Bilardello was batting .165 at the start of the game. With catcher Mike Fitzgerald out for the season because of an injury, Bilardello and Tom Nieto are sharing catching duties.