01:00 AM EST on Thursday, November 17, 2005

The San Diego Padres were close to acquiring outfielder Mike Cameron from the New York Mets for utility player Xavier Nady, a baseball official with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press yesterday.

Before they finalize the deal, the Padres apparently want to make sure Cameron's vision is OK following a face-to-face collision with Mets teammate Carlos Beltran in the outfield at San Diego's Petco Park on Aug. 11 that ended Cameron's season.

The baseball official spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade had not yet been announced.

Newsday first reported the pending deal on its Web site yesterday, saying the sides had reached a preliminary agreement on the trade subject to Cameron passing an eye exam.

The Padres tried to sign Cameron as a free agent after the 2003 season, but he accepted a $19.5 million, three-year deal from the Mets.

Nady, a second-round draft pick in the 2000 amateur draft, was billed as a super-sub last season, playing at first and third base, and at all three outfield positions. He batted .261 with 13 homers and 43 RBIs.

Also yesterday, the Padres brought back Geoff Blum, agreeing to a $650,000 one-year contract with the free agent infielder, the first of 182 free agents to sign. Blum won Game Three of the World Series for the Chicago White Sox with a tie-breaking, two-out solo homer in the 14th inning at Houston.

ROUNDUP

MATSUI STILL A YANKEE: Hideki Matsui is staying with the New York Yankees, agreeing to a $52 million, four-year contract that makes him the highest-paid Japanese player in the major leagues. "I'm most very happy to be able to come back again and wear the pinstripes again and play in that uniform," Matsui said at a news conference yesterday. "My first desire was to play here." Matsui's agent, Arn Tellem, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman met the Nov. 15 deadline contained in Matsui's first contract with the team. That deal stated that if there was no agreement by then, New York would have to place the outfielder on unconditional release waivers, which would have prevented the Yankees from re-signing him until May 15. Matsui is to earn $13 million in each of the next four seasons and gets a no-trade clause. He was coming off a $21 million, three-year contract in which he earned an additional $1.5 million in performance bonuses.

AIMING AT GILES: The Yankees were discouraged by Scott Boras' asking price of $84 million over seven years for Red Sox free agent center fielder Johnny Damon, so they will look seriously at signing Padres free agent Brian Giles with the thought of using a rotation in centerfield. The Yankees are thinking about offering Giles, 34, close to $30 million for three years, but they want to investigate whether he seriously will consider coming to New York, a person familiar with the situation said. Although signing Giles would add a much-needed small-ball type of player to the Yankees' lineup -- he reaches base often, runs the bases well and hits a ton of doubles -- he is not a true centerfielder, having started only 30 games there in the past five years. Giles, however, "has no preference where he plays," agent Joe Bick said.

BLAUSER TO MANAGE: Jeff Blauser was hired yesterday as manager of the Double-A Mississippi Braves. The two-time All-Star shortstop was a roving instructor for the Atlanta Braves' farm system last season. He replaces Brian Snitker, who was promoted to Triple-A Richmond after four seasons with the Double-A team.

STILL EYEING WAGNER: The Philadelphia Phillies took another shot at retaining closer Billy Wagner, meeting with the All-Star left-hander in Virginia yesterday. Wagner was 4-3 with a 1.51 E.R.A. and 38 saves, and nearly helped the Phillies reach the playoffs for the first time since 1993. Philadelphia finished 88-74, just one game behind Houston for the N.L. wild-card spot. Wagner earned $9 million in the final year of his contract, and re-signing him has been the team's top priority in the offseason.

NATS' SALE ON TAP: Major League Baseball hopes it can resolve differences with Washington officials over a stadium lease by next week, clearing the way for a sale of the Nationals. Some progress was made in negotiations earlier this week, and talks should resume tomorrow, said Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer. "There are still some fundamental economic differences," DuPuy said yesterday after the first day of an owners' meeting. "We've said all along our goal is get a lease and we're going to continue to work on it. I don't think it'll be done Friday. We're probably looking at next week."

finished.

CUBS TRADE LEICESTER: The Chicago Cubs traded right-hander Jon Leicester to the Texas Rangers yesterday for a player to be named. Leicester, 26, spent most of last season at Triple-A Iowa, going 3-8 with a save and a 5.51 E.R.A. in 16 starts and eight relief appearances. He also appeared in six games with the Cubs, making one start. He pitched well in relief as a rookie for Chicago during 2004.