Leiper is Out of Padres’ Pitching Plans

SAN DIEGO —  Dave Leiper, the left-handed Padre reliever who watched his best friend, Mark Davis, leave the Padres two weeks ago for Kansas City, will also be packing his bags.

Leiper was not tendered a contract by the Padres, Jack McKeon, manager and vice president/baseball operations said Tuesday, making him a free agent.

Leiper, 27, has been with the Padres since Aug. 31, 1987, when he and first baseman Rob Nelson were acquired from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for starting pitcher Storm Davis.

Leiper was 0-1 with a 5.02 ERA for the Padres in 1989, pitching in just 22 games. He missed 30 days with a strained left elbow from June 14 to July 15 and then was optioned to triple-A Las Vegas for the rest of the season.

“He would have had trouble making our team,” McKeon said, “so we thought we’d give him a chance to hook up with someone else.”

Leiper, who earned $150,000 last season, said: “I was hoping they’d offer me a contract because I wanted to be part of the team, but it’s their prerogative. I was wondering what they were going to do. But I wasn’t worrying about it before, and I’m not going to worry about it now.”

With Leiper gone, it now leaves three pitchers fighting for one opening in the Padre bullpen--Rafael Valdez, Dan Murphy and Eric Nolte.

The rest of the pitching staff already appears set: Bruce Hurst, Ed Whitson, Eric Show, Andy Benes, Dennis Rasmussen, Craig Lefferts, Greg Harris, Calvin Schiraldi and Mark Grant.