Posted at 5:28 p.m., Friday, December 14, 2007
Baseball: Agent says Cameron won't return to Padres
By BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer
"Mike's tenure in San Diego is over," Mike Nicotera said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. "He enjoyed his time there, his time with the fans, and certainly his teammates. We were just unable to reach agreement with the club. They are moving in another direction as are we."
Padres general manager Kevin Towers confirmed that the talks were off.
"For now, yes," Towers said in an e-mail.
If the talks indeed are over, that makes Cameron the second outfielder in less than a week to spurn an offer to return to the Padres. Left fielder Milton Bradley on Sunday accepted a one-year deal from the Texas Rangers worth approximately $5 million. The Padres had offered $4 million.
Plus, the Padres lost out in the bidding for Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, who signed with the Chicago Cubs.
Cameron is suspended for the first 25 games of next season after testing positive a second time for a banned stimulant.
Nicotera said "a few new clubs" are interested in Cameron, but he declined to name them.
"We are going to take a step back and continue to explore these discussions further, as it is our understanding that some player movement which could affect the market for Mike is imminent," he said.
