Padres Acquire Dave Roberts

The San Diego Padres today acquired outfielder Dave Roberts from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for outfielder Jay Payton, infielder Ramon Vazquez, minor league right-handed pitcher David Pauley and cash considerations.

"We are very pleased to bring not only a native San Diegan, but a key piece to Boston's World Championship team in 2004," said Towers. "Roberts brings us a well needed table setter at the top of our lineup, along with tremendous range in the outfield to cover the spacious gaps at PETCO Park."

Dave Roberts, 32, appeared in a combined 113 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox in 2004, batting .254 (81-for-319) with seven triples, 14 doubles, 35 RBI and 38 stolen bases in 41 attempts. Roberts brings speed to the Padres offense and a bona fide leadoff hitter that the Friars desperately lacked.

Roberts is a career .259 hitter with 39 doubles, 11 home runs and 135 stolen bases. The 5-10, 180-pound San Diego native, who recorded back-to-back 40-plus stolen base seasons in 2002-03, ranks tied for second with Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford among Major League leaders, with 123 stolen bases since 2002 (Juan Pierre, 157).

Jay Payton, 32, played center for the Padres in 2004 but disappointed at the plate where he hit .260 (119-for-458) with eight home runs and 55 RBI in 143 games a year after hitting 28 homers for Colorado.

Ramon Vazquez, 28, split the 2004 campaign between San Diego and Triple-A Portland. He played in 52 games with the Padres, appearing at all four infield positions, and batted .235 (27-for-115) with one home run and 13 RBI.

David Pauley, 21, appeared in 27 games (26 starts) at Single-A Lake Elsinore, going 7-12 with a 4.17 ERA (71 ER/153.1 IP). Originally selected in the eighth rough of the 2001 First-Year Player Draft, Pauley has a career mark of 24-29 with a 3.97 ERA (185 ER/419.2 IP) over four minor league seasons.