Padres gain Cardona, Gomez in Tigers' deal

LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Padres traded infielder Damian Jackson and catcher Matt Walbeck to the Tigers on Saturday for catcher Javier Cardona and outfielder Rich Gomez.

Jackson hit .241 with four home runs and 38 RBIs, and stole 23 bases last season for the Padres.

"When a trade like this happens, you have to look at it like somebody wanted you, not that you weren't wanted because you'll drive yourself crazy," Jackson said.

Jackson, 28, had a .986 fielding percentage at second base. He also has played shortstop and outfield in the majors.

The Tigers were in need of a utility player.

"It looks like a good deal," manager Phil Garner said. "It's what we need."

Walbeck, 32, spent almost the entire 2001 season in Triple-A. He singled for Philadelphia in his only major league at-bat.

Walbeck also has played Detroit, the Chicago Cubs, Minnesota and Anaheim. He had been in the Padres' camp as a non-roster invitee.

Cardona, 26, hit .260 with one homer and 10 RBIs in 46 games for the Tigers. He batted .235 for Triple-A Toledo.

Gomez, 25, hit .269 with 14 homers, 44 RBIs and 26 stolen bases for Double-A Erie.

EXPOS:Montreal hopes Matt Herges can help in a hurry.

In a swap of right-handed relievers, the Dodgers sent Herges to the Expos for Guillermo Mota in a four-player trade .

Herges, who turns 32 on April 1, was 9-8 with a 3.44 ERA and one save for the Dodgers, working 99 1-3 innings in 75 games. His nine relief victories tied for the most in the NL with Montreal's Graeme Lloyd and San Francisco's Felix Rodriguez.

Mota, 28, pitched in 53 games for the Expos last year, going 1-3 with a 5.26 ERA in 49 2-3 innings.

The Expos also got minor league infielder Jorge Nunez and the Dodgers received minor league outfielder Wilkin Ruan.

-- From wire reports