Padres Get Clark From the Yankees : McCullers, Jimmy Jones, Jefferson Go to New York

SAN DIEGO —  The San Diego Padres, who looked like a pennant contender for the final 4 months of the 1988 season, strengthened the resemblance Monday. They acquired slugger Jack Clark and pitcher Pat Clements from the New York Yankees for pitchers Lance McCullers and Jimmy Jones and outfielder Stan Jefferson.

In a trade that left Manager Jack McKeon smiling through his cigar and several Padres laughing in disbelief, the power-poor Padres picked up a 32-year-old four-time All-Star who has averaged 21 homers and 74 RBIs in his 12 full big-league seasons, with 27 home runs and 93 runs batted in last season. In return, they gave up three players who, by the end of the season, had worked their way out of the Padres’ 1989 plans. McCullers had been replaced by Mark Davis as the Padre bullpen stopper, Jones was dropped from the rotation Sept. 20, and Jefferson had just 7 at-bats after Sept. 1.

Almost more important to the deal was who they did not have to give up--good young tradeable catchers Benito Santiago or Sandy Alomar Jr., one of whom will be available for a later deal that McKeon intimated could be “even bigger.” McKeon is so confident of making another big trade, he said he hasn’t even thought about where Clark, who will become his starting first baseman, will bat in the lineup.

“I won’t need to know that until next spring and our team will change some more by then,” he said.

The trade has left the Padres--who finished in third place in the National League West and compiled the division’s best record after May 28 (67-48), when McKeon took over as manager--eager for March.

“If Jack Clark does anything that we hope he will, you’d have to consider our club pennant contenders,” McKeon said.

Of the Padre responses Monday, that was the mildest.

“A good deal? That’s the understatement of the year,” said Tony Gwynn, National League batting champion. “If we had Jack Clark last year, we might be riding through downtown San Diego right now. People were already excited about last season, and now this? When I was called about the trade, first I was told who we gave up and I said, ‘Oh man, I hope we got something good.’ When I was told Jack Clark, I thought, ‘Geez, what a trade!’

“The worst part about this trade is that it’s still October. We still have to wait 4 months for spring training. That’s going to be a long 4 months.”

Pitcher Mark Grant, who played with Clark in San Francisco in 1984 and lobbied this summer for the Padres to pick him up, said: “Can you believe it? Even though I talked about it, it seemed farfetched. But we do it. We get exactly what we need. Can you believe it?

“Clark is the power hitter we need and a leader in the clubhouse. He doesn’t say much, but it’s like, when he talks, everyone listens.”

Earlier this summer, Clark talked about leaving the Yankees, even though he had just gone there as a free agent from the St. Louis Cardinals. He was unhappy about the acquisition of Ken Phelps, who cut into his playing time as a designated hitter. He was unhappy because, with Don Mattingly playing first base, he was moved to several different positions, none of them full time. He talked about being traded “home,” to the West Coast, where he lives and where he once played for the San Francisco Giants. He had played his high school ball for Gladstone in Azusa.

“I’m so happy about coming back to the National League, to where I started, to what I’m used to,” Clark said from his home in Northern California. “This takes a lot of pressure off my mind.

“I’ve heard so much about Jack (McKeon), and how he’s gotten the players to believe in themselves,” said Clark, who at $1.5 million for next season becomes the highest-paid Padre. “I believe in the team, and I’m not even there, I haven’t even seen them. The Padres have some good players to begin with, and now to bring somebody else in there, I think they are in a real good situation to contend.”

At least one NL West executive, whose team was reportedly pursuing Clark, agreed with him.

“Jack Clark is an impact type player. He’ll definitely help them, no question about it,” said Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president. “But I’m not saying Jack Clark was a priority with us.”

The Padres hope Clark will bring back bad memories for the rival Dodgers, considering he kept them out of the 1985 World Series with his 3-run homer for St. Louis in Game 6 of the National League championship series, after Manager Tom Lasorda did not walk him with first base open.

Clements, 26, is a left-hander who last year spent more time in the minor leagues (6-7 with a 2.75 earned-run average in 32 games at triple-A Columbus) than with the Yankees (0-0, 6.48 ERA in 6 appearances). He began his career in 1985 with the Angels, for whom he went 5-0 with a 3.34 ERA before being traded to Pittsburgh in August of that year in the 6-player deal that brought George Hendrick, John Candelaria and Al Holland to the Angels. He was traded to the Yankees after the 1986 season.

Times staff writer Ross Newhan contributed to this story.