Hurst’s Value Questioned : Baseball: Red Sox were interested, but Padre pitcher’s health has them looking at Jose Melendez, sources say.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —  The Boston Red Sox, according to a source familiar with the negotiations, have reservations about the health of Padre starter Bruce Hurst and now are seeking right-handed reliever Jose Melendez.

The Red Sox are proposing a trade that would send left fielder Phil Plantier to the Padres in exchange for Melendez, who was 6-7 with a 2.92 ERA last season.

The trade could be consummated as early as today, the source said.

Hurst underwent off-season rotator cuff surgery to repair two small tears in his left shoulder, but the Padres say Hurst will be fine by spring training. The Red Sox are not so sure.

“Teams still are reviewing reports on his shoulder,” said Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager. “It depends on how they view the medical report.”

If Hurst is not involved in the trade to Boston, the Padres still are compelled to unload his contract before the winter meetings conclude. The Padres’ urgency in trading Hurst is to dump his $2.75-million contract. They still have $5 million remaining to trim from their payroll because of their projected $3-million salary for third baseman Gary Sheffield and $1.75 million to center fielder Darrin Jackson.

In other news, the Padres have unequivocally decided not to offer arbitration to All-Star free-agent catcher Benito Santiago by tonight’s 9 p.m. deadline, terminating their 10-year relationship.

The Padres also are expected to allow bullpen stopper Randy Myers to depart, according to sources.

“We’ve been told what we have to do,” McIlvaine said. “It’s pretty simple. We work for the owners.”

Sources say the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox are courting Myers, who had a career-high 37 saves last season. The Florida Marlins are trying to lure Santiago.

Because the Padres refuse to offer arbitration rights, they will not receive any compensatory draft picks. Even if Santiago and Myers can be signed cheaply in the flooded marketplace, the Padres will lose negotiating rights with them until May 1.

Despite the frustration of not receiving a single draft pick in exchange for the high-profile free agents, McIlvaine said the Padres can not afford to risk the possibility that either would accept the arbitration offer. They also won’t offer arbitration to pitchers Jim Deshaies and Larry Andersen.

“We just can’t take that chance,” McIlvaine said. “Each would make more than $4 million, and we can’t afford it.”

In a surprising development, the Padres opened negotiations with the Colorado Rockies, attempting to reacquire pitcher Lance Painter.

The Padres lost Painter, 10-5 with a 3.53 ERA at double-A Wichita, in the second round of the expansion draft. McIlvaine says Painter will become a top major league starter and is making every attempt to get him.

The Padres, according to a source close to the negotiations, have offered Robbie Beckett, former No. 1 draft pick, and another minor-leaguer. Beckett was 4-10 with a 4.77 ERA, striking out 147 and walking 140 in 120 2/3 innings at Class-A Waterloo.

The Padres also had trade discussions Sunday with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox. Most were inquiring about the Padre middle relief corps of Jose Melendez, Mike Maddux and Rich Rodriguez.

Most of the attention today, however, is expected to be on Santiago, Myers and those free agents who will not be offered arbitration. It could lead to a signing frenzy Tuesday because there are expected to be as many as 100 free agents who are not offered arbitration.

“Whoever offers me the first legitimate four-year contract,” Myers said, “I’m gone. I’m not going to worry about going to the highest bidder.

“I have three or four teams interested, but the Padres ain’t one of them.”

The Dodgers’ first choice in bullpen stoppers appears to be free agent Todd Worrell of the St. Louis Cardinals, who already was offered a contract by the Dodgers. If Worrell signs elsewhere, sources say Myers is the next choice.

“We haven’t called an end to the search yet,” said Fred Claire, Dodger general manager.

Santiago still is awaiting an offer from any team. The Montreal Expos, Toronto Blue Jays and Atlanta Braves have lost interest in Santiago, leaving the Marlins as the leading candidate.

“We just want to get him to an organization and manager that speaks truthfully of him,” said Scott Boras, Santiago’s agent. “We’ll see what the market is, but for him to be on a competitive team is very, very important at this point.”

The Padres, who desperately need to strengthen their pitching, will select a pitcher in today’s Rule 5 Draft, McIlvaine said. They claimed starter Frank Seminara in that draft two years ago.

“It’s the best bargain in baseball,” McIlvaine said.

The Padres have done their best to make it quite lucrative.

They lost center fielder Shane Mack and third baseman Dave Hollins in the 1989 Rule 5 draft. Both are doing well in Minnesota and Philadelphia, respectively.

“Please, don’t remind me,” McIlvaine said, who joined the Padres a year later.