Major League Notes: Tribe reluctant to trade Lofton

Thursday, Jan. 30, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

SUN WIRE REPORTS

Kenny Lofton is always disrupting the game. That's what makes him so valuable.

Will he drag bunt or swing away? Will he steal second, third, or both?

The question he's presenting now, though, is giving the Cleveland Indians a head ache.

Lofton's a gent has told general manager John Hart that the speedy center fielder will opt for free agency after the 1997 season.

It leaves Hart in the same predicament he faced with Albert Belle last year. If he keeps Lofton around in hopes the speedster can get the Indians back to the World Series, he runs the risk of watching him walk away next winter and getting nothing in return.

Even though Belle burned Hart, signing a $55 million, five-year contract with the Chicago White Sox, Hart said Wednesday that trading Lofton would not be worth it.

"We're not looking to move Kenny," Hart said. "Anybody that feels that we may not be getting value is losing sight of what we're here for, which is to win.

"We feel we have a chance to win with Kenny."

Lofton has won four straight Gold Gloves and five consecutive AL stolen base titles and is considered the best leadoff hitter in the game. Last year, Lofton batted .317 with 14 homers, 67 RBIs, 132 runs and 75 stolen bases.

Lofton's agent, Steve Zucker, did not return telephone messages Wednesday.

"This winter, we began negotiations and Kenny just made it clear that he didn't want to talk," Hart said. "We recognize he's a free agent at the end of the '97 season."

Hart said free agency "does not preclude us from signing Kenny at the end of the season and doesn't preclude us from doing anything during the season."

* PADRES PURSUE IRABU: The San Diego Padres will continue their pitch to land star Japanese pitcher Hideki Irabu, this time to a four-man committee appointed by the ruling executive council. Padres officials will meet Monday in New York with the committee, which was set up Jan. 14 to make recommendations regarding dealings with Japanese players. The committee sent letters to all 28 clubs last week inviting those interested to come to New York and be heard on the issue. Of immediate concern is Irabu. The Padres say they obtained exclusive negotiating rights to the 27-year-old right-hander as part of a working agreement with the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese Pacific League. However, others in baseball, most notably New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, say Irabu should be a free agent able to negotiate with any major league team. Irabu said last week in Japan that he has his heart set on playing for the Yankees and has no desire to negotiate with the Padres.