|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Staying put Brewers-Padres trade falls through on Burnitz extension
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- A proposed trade that would have sent San Diego third baseman Phil Nevin to Milwaukee for outfielder Jeromy Burnitz fell through Friday when the Padres couldn't agree with Burnitz on a contract extension. Agreeing to a deal with Burnitz was the key to completing the trade because his current contract expires at the end of 2001, making him eligible for free agency. The Padres didn't want to trade for him and then face the possibility that he'd leave after one season. "It's unfortunate that this affected a couple of players' lives," Padres general manager Kevin Towers said of the talks. "My apologies not only to Jeromy Burnitz and his family but to Phil Nevin and his family that for a week or a two or three-day period, they felt they may be changing addressees. "I guess the silver lining in it is when you walk away from a deal like this, you still have a guy like Phil Nevin who hit 31 home runs and had over 100 RBIs playing third base for you. That's a good thing." Burnitz, who lives in the San Diego area in the offseason, will make $5.3 million next season. The two sides were believed to be millions of dollars apart. "I hope that we can come to an agreement in Milwaukee for the long-term so that I can stay a Brewer for years to come," Burnitz said in statement released with the Brewers. The proposed trade also would have had reliever Heathcliff Slocumb going to the Brewers and shortstop prospect Santiago Perez going to the Padres. Although Nevin resurrected his career with the Padres, he has become valuable in trade talks because of his attractive contract and because the Padres' top two prospects, Sean Burroughs and Xavier Nady, are third basemen. If the Padres don't trade Nevin, he could be moved to left field once Burroughs or Nady is ready to move up. Nevin is due $1.5 million next year and $2.6 million in 2002. He made $750,000 last season, when he led the Padres with a .303 average, 31 homers and 107 RBIs. The Padres' top offseason priorities are getting a shortstop and a power-hitting corner outfielder, and the Milwaukee deal would have taken care of both.
| ||||||||||||||||
