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Cardinals acquire SS Greene from Padres

3 hours, 34 minutes ago

ST. LOUIS (TICKER) —The St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday acquired shortstop Khalil Greene from the San Diego Padres for righthander Mark Worrell and a player to be named.

Greene, 29, appeared in 105 games for San Diego last season, batting a career-worst .213 with 10 home runs and 35 RBI. The previous campaign, the 2002 first-round draft pick hit .254 with career highs of 27 homers and 97 RBI.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to have acquired a shortstop with the solid combination of offense and defense that Khalil Greene brings to our ballclub,” Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said. “The addition of Khalil to our lineup and the opportunity that he will now have to play in front of our great fans, and in Busch Stadium, is something that we see as a perfect match.”

The Padres’ franchise leader in homers among shortstops with 84, Greene is a career .248 hitter. His 82 blasts since 2004 ranks third among major league players at his position during that span.

“I would like to take this opportunity to let everyone know that I am both excited and honored to have a chance to play and contribute for such a storied franchise as the St. Louis Cardinals,” Greene said. “The tradition in St. Louis speaks for itself, and I am hopeful to be a strong contributor for the Cardinals. Also, I would like to thank the San Diego Padres, the city and fans of San Diego for the opportunity to play in San Diego for five-plus seasons.”

The 25-year-old Worrell made his major league debut with St. Louis last season, going 0-1 with a 7.94 ERA in four relief appearances. He spent the majority of the year at Class AAA Memphis, where he posted a 3-3 record with five saves and a 2.15 ERA in 53 games.

“We are happy to add Mark Worrell to our team,” San Diego general manager Kevin Towers said. “He’s a talented young pitcher who we are confident will contribute to our bullpen in 2009.

“I also want to thank Khalil for all he did for the Padres. He helped us win two division championships, and he leaves us with many great memories of his performance on the field.”