Right fielder Brian Giles? Likely will be available.

Left-hander Randy Wolf? Ditto.

Right-hander Greg Maddux? Yes, maybe him, too.

The Padres, a major-league worst 16-30, are 13 games back in the NL West. Their best pitcher, Jake Peavy, is headed to the disabled list. If ever a team looked like a seller before the July 31 non-waiver deadline, this is it.

The only question is how far management will go.

The Padres, sources say, probably would not part with their younger players under long-term control — right-hander Chris Young, shortstop Khalil Greene, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff.

But even if the club took a more modest approach, it could boost its farm system by trading potential free agents such as Giles, Wolf and Maddux. Catcher Michael Barrett, left-hander Shawn Estes, second baseman Tadahito Iguchi are also playing under expiring contracts, and the Padres also could move any reliever not named Trevor Hoffman.

Barrett, who is expected back shortly from a right-elbow ligament sprain, already is drawing interest from clubs, and the shortage of catching throughout the industry virtually ensures that he will be in demand.

The most intriguing possibility, though, is Maddux, who holds the right to veto any deal. Maddux prefers the West Coast, but he might consider rejoining the Cubs or Braves — or uniting with his older brother Mike, the pitching coach for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Giles, with his .858 on-base/slugging percentage, could be an effective DH for an offense-starved American League team. His contract enables him to block trades to eight clubs — Baltimore, Boston, Detroit and Tampa Bay, plus Florida, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Washington.

If the Padres wanted to be more aggressive, they could listen on Greene, who is a free agent after the 2009 season, and Young, who is signed to an affordable contract through '10 with a club option for '11. The Padres, however, are thin at shortstop behind Greene and probably would need to be overwhelmed to move Young.

In any case, a selloff would serve a dual purpose, opening spots for several of the team's top prospects — left fielder Chase Headley, second baseman Matt Antonelli, outfielder Will Venable and catcher Nick Hundley.

The Padres need an infusion of youth and energy — ASAP.

Brewers' Yost: Under scrutiny?

When I asked Brewers GM Doug Melvin about the status of manager Ned Yost before the Brewers-Red Sox series, he replied, "There is no focus on Ned at this point." Little figured to change after the Brewers were swept in Boston — where the Red Sox are 18-5 this season — despite a report by one "Badger Blogger" that Yost was about to be fired.

Yost has been a target of fan unrest in Milwaukee since the end of last season, and it appeared he indeed might be in jeopardy last week after the Brewers lost six straight in Houston and Florida. The team, however, recovered with a 4-3 homestand against the Cardinals and Dodgers before faltering against the Red Sox and falling into last place.

Yost's bullpen management and tense leadership style became issues toward the end of last season, and he will face greater scrutiny if the team fails to revive. The Brewers, however, suffered a huge blow when they lost Yovani Gallardo, a pitcher they privately believe is better than any of the Yankees' or Red Sox's young starters. Their bullpen has been unsettled due to the collapse of Derrick Turnbow and inconsistency of Eric Gagne. And Melvin notes that the team had "almost an entire month of save opportunities" due to its offensive struggles.

The good news for the Brewers, at least offensively, is that their .273 batting average on balls in play was the second-lowest in the National League through last Wednesday, 23 points below the league average, according to statistics kept by The Hardball Times. At least to some degree, they're hitting into poor luck, and eventually that should change. Rickie Weeks' .209 BABIP is the lowest in the NL and Bill Hall's .217 is third lowest.

Ludwick breaks through

Few players have persevered like Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick, who spent most of his first eight professional seasons in the minors due to injuries. Ludwick, batting a ridiculous .350-.427-.772, has emerged as one of the more heartwarming stories of the season.

For Ludwick, a second-round pick of the A's in 1999, the low point came in 2005, after he had recovered from a second surgery on his right knee and made the Indians' Opening Day roster. He batted .220 in limited playing time, then was designated for assignment to make room for Juan Gonzalez, whose comeback lasted only one at-bat.

At that point, Ludwick says, he was "mentally done." He cleared waivers, reported to Class AAA and batted .191, only to have things get even worse when a fastball broke his wrist and ended his season. At age 27, his career was going nowhere. But in '06, his turnaround began.

Ludwick signed with the Tigers as a minor-league free agent and hit 28 home runs at Class AAA. He then accepted a minor-league deal from the Cardinals, who were fairly set in the outfield and coming off a World Series appearance. It was a gamble, but Ludwick knew that Cardinals manager Tony La Russa uses his entire 25-man roster. Ludwick joined the team last May 6, and now look at him.