Padres C Barrett clears waivers

Oct 10, 2008 - 10:28 PM SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- The San Diego Padres on Friday announced catcher Michael Barrett has cleared outright waivers and elected to become a free agent.

Acquired in a trade with the Chicago Cubs in June 2007, Barrett was a disappointment for the Padres, hitting .226 in 44 games after the deal and then surprising the club by accepting arbitration after the season. He hit .202 with two home runs in 30 games in 2008, missing 115 contests due to two stints on the disabled list with a sprained right elbow ligament and a fractured nose.

The 31-year-old is a career .264 hitter with 97 homers and 422 RBI in parts of 11 seasons with the Montreal Expos, Cubs and Padres.

Barrett is the latest part of a roster purge for the Padres, who lost 99 games this past season. They parted ways with fellow catcher Josh Bard and lefthander Shawn Estes on Monday.

In another move Friday, San Diego claimed second baseman Travis Denker off waivers from the San Francisco Giants. The 23-year-old made his major league debut on May 21 and hit .243 with four doubles and a homer in 24 games.