......WTH?
D-backs reacquire Clark from Padres
07/17/2008 2:20 PM ET
By Corey Brock / MLB.com
ST. LOUIS -- After discussing the possibility of trading veteran first baseman Tony Clark back to the Diamondbacks for a week, the Padres finally reached a deal on Thursday that will return Clark to the team he played for from 2005-2007, according to a baseball source.
The Padres will receive a Minor League pitcher, though it wasn't the compensation that kept the deal from being done sooner.
The Padres and Diamondbacks were waiting to see if the 36-year-old Clark would waive the $500,000 assignment bonus that he would have received in a trade.
Clark did, and now he's a Diamondback -- again, though an official announcement isn't expected until later Thursday.
Clark flew with the Padres from San Diego to St. Louis on the team charter Wednesday night, but will now return to Phoenix -- where he makes his home in the offseason. Clark is believed to be flying from St. Louis to Phoenix, where he is expected to participate in a workout with his new team on Thursday.
Clark, who signed a one-year deal with the Padres just before the start of Spring Training for $900,000, is hitting .239 with one home run and 11 RBIs in 88 at-bats this season for a team that is 21 games under .500 heading into Thursday's game against the Cardinals.
The trade means more playing time for 31-year-old Brian Myrow, who was promoted to the Padres from Triple-A Portland before the All-Star break. That playing time, however, will likely be in the form of pinch-hitting, considering the Padres first baseman is All-Star Adrian Gonzalez.
Clark was the Padres' best pinch-hitter this season, going 13-for-50 (.260). His three-run home run off Mets closer Billy Wagner in an 8-6 victory on July 8 was his biggest hit as a member of the Padres, though his contribution, even in a short time, extended far beyond mere statistics.
Clark mentored some of the young players on the team, like Rule 5 pickup Callix Crabbe, who was offered back to the Milwaukee Brewers in May as well as other Padres.
"When we looked at Tony, we looked at an experienced guy who understood what it took to be a valuable bench player," San Diego manager Bud Black said in April. "He's been great as far as being prepared to hit, taking on a strong leadership role on the team already."
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
D-backs reacquire Clark from Padres | MLB.com: News