Padres star third baseman Chase Headley, the subject of much trade speculation over the past couple years, was pulled back off waivers after being claimed and won't be traded this season, sources said.
Headley by rules won't be able to go back on revocable winters thiss season, and thus will remain with San Diego for now.
The Padres are expected to try to sign Headley to a multiyear deal this winter, with the possibility existing that San Diego could field trade offers in the winter should the team be unable to sign him to an extension. Padres owner Ron Fowler suggested after a failed attempt by the team to engage Headley in contracts talks early in the season that he was prepared to offer the biggest contract in Padres history.
Headley makes $8.575 million this year, and while he's eligible for free agency after the 2014 season, it'll be interesting to see if he might be more amenable to a deal after his poor season this year following a career year in 2012 when he had 31 home runs, 115 RBI and a .286 batting average. Headley has eight home runs, 36 RBI and a .240 batting average this year after beginning the year on the disabled list following a spring hand injury that may have affected him even after he returned.
The biggest deal in Padres history was the $52 million, three-year contract for pitcher Jake Peavy before he was traded to the White Sox. One estimate for a potential Headley deal is about $75 million for five years, but that is speculative.
