SAN DIEGO (AP) – Outfielder Dave Roberts, whose stolen base helped the Boston Red Sox rally to an unprecedented playoff comeback against the New York Yankees, was traded to the San Diego Padres on Monday night for outfielder Jay Payton and infielder Ramon Vazquez.

Boston also received minor-league right-hander David Pauley and $2.65 million in cash for Roberts, who is expected to bat leadoff and play center field.

“We felt like one glaring need was a tablesetter, someone who can make things happen at the top of the lineup,” Padres general manager Kevin Towers said. “We needed to inject some speed. His energy and ability to get on base will improve our ballclub.”

Roberts, who went to high school in northern San Diego County, appeared in a combined 113 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Red Sox in 2004, batting .254 with 35 RBIs and 38 stolen bases in 41 attempts.

He did not play in the World Series, but it was his stolen base in the ninth inning of Game 4 in the ALCS that began the comeback against Yankees closer Mariano Rivera.

With the Red Sox facing a sweep, Roberts pinch ran after Rivera walked Kevin Millar to lead off the ninth. After some pickoff throws, Roberts stole second and scored the tying run on Bill Mueller’s single.

The Red Sox won that game and three more to eliminate the Yankees, then swept the St. Louis Cardinals for to win their first World Series since 1918.

“As far as we’re concerned, (it was) one of the biggest stolen bases in baseball history,” Boston general manager Theo Epstein said. “We went from potentially getting swept to winning the World Series for the first time in 86 years.”

Boston acquired Roberts from the Dodgers at the July 31 trade deadline last season, and he played 45 games while filling in the outfield. Had he returned to Boston, he would have spent another season as a backup.

“He really wanted to go to a situation where he could play every day,” Epstein said. “He wasn’t really going to play much here, barring injury.”

Payton, 32, is a career .285 hitter with 77 homers and 300 RBIs in 715 games with the Mets, Rockies and Padres. The former college teammate of Jason Varitek and Nomar Garciaparra hit .260 with eight homers and 55 RBIs for the Padres last season and had his best season in 03, when he batted .302 with 28 homers and 89 RBIs for Colorado.

Vazquez, 28, hit .262 with six homers and 79 RBIs with the Mariners and Padres. He has played all four infield positions.

Pauley was 24-29 with a save and a 3.97 ERA in 79 games in four minor league seasons.

Also Monday, the Red Sox did not offer contracts to catcher Sandy Martinez, pitcher Lenny DiNardo and left-hander Billy Traber. The players could re-sign with Boston, but by allowing them to become free agents the Red Sox can get around the maximum-cut rules.

—

AP Sports Writer Jimmy Golen contributed to this story from Boston

AP-ES-12-20-04 2244EST