St. Louis gets Khalil Greene

The St. Louis Cardinals addressed another major off-season concern Thursday night, taking advantage of the San Diego Padres’ sell-off mode by acquiring shortstop Khalil Greene for minor leaguers.

The Padres get minor league right-hander Mark Worrell and a prospect to be named from a pool of three players, two pitchers and one position player.

The 29-year-old Greene batted .213 with 10 home runs last season, and struck out 100 times in 105 games. In 2007, he had 27 homers, 44 doubles and 97 RBIs. He is a career .248 hitter with 84 homers, a franchise record for a San Diego shortstop.

Greene is due to make $6.5 million in the final season of a two-year, $11-million contract, and is eligible for arbitration after 2009. Towers said the Padres are not paying any of Greene’s 2009 contract.

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Javier Vazquez was shipped from the Chicago White Sox to the Atlanta Braves as the teams completed a six-player deal agreed to earlier in the week. Left-handed reliever Boone Logan also went to the Braves as part of the deal, and the White Sox acquired four prospects: catcher Tyler Flowers, infielders Jonathan Gilmore and Brent Lillibridge and left-handed pitcher Santos Rodriguez. . . . Edgar Renteria joined the San Francisco Giants, receiving an $18.5-million, two-year contract to replace 11-time Gold Glove shortstop Omar Vizquel. . . . The Boston Red Sox finalized their contract with Japanese right-hander Junichi Tazawa. Tazawa is expected to begin next season in double A. . . . Federal prosecutors have dropped four counts of lying to a grand jury against Barry Bonds, leaving him to face trial next year on 10 counts of making false statements plus an additional obstruction of justice charge. Bonds faces the same potential sentence range -- probation to roughly two years in prison -- if convicted. His trial is scheduled to begin March 2.

GOLF

Wie tied for qualifying lead

Michelle Wie ran off four straight birdies late in her round for a seven-under 65 that put her in a tie for the lead with Shiho Oyama of Japan after the second of five rounds in the LPGA Tour qualifying tournament at Daytona Beach, Fla.

The top 20 players after the 90-hole tournament Sunday earn their LPGA Tour cards for next season. Through two rounds, Wie is eight shots clear of the cutoff.

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James Nitties shot a nine-under 63 at PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament Course to take a one-stroke lead over Robert Garrigus and Harrison Frazar after the second round of the PGA Tour qualifying tournament at La Quinta.

The 108-hole event will end Monday with the top 25 and ties earning cards.

Former PGA Championship winner Mark Brooks (69) was at nine-under along with Jay Williamson (68), Major Manning (70) and Ted Purdy (67).

MOTOR RACING

Merger possible for Petty

Petty Enterprises is in discussions to merge its storied racing franchise with Gillett Evernham Motorsports, the Associated Press has learned.

Multiple people familiar with the talks told the AP that the two teams were discussing a deal that would merge Petty’s famed No. 43 Dodge with GEM to become a four-car operation. They requested anonymity because the negotiations are continuing.

Petty, the team founded by seven-time series champion Richard Petty, has no full-time sponsorship lined up for next season. The team fields its flagship No. 43 for 2000 NASCAR champion Bobby Labonte and a second car that Chad McCumbee and Kyle Petty shared this season. Kyle Petty was expected to have a minimal role -- if any -- with the organization next season.

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Honda has pulled out of Formula One, citing the slowdown in the global economy.

ETC.

Avery meets with Bettman

Sean Avery surged past camera crews and reporters, choosing to save his comments this time for NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman during a three-hour disciplinary hearing at New York. The Dallas Stars forward was suspended indefinitely Tuesday hours after he used a crude expression while speaking with reporters to describe former girlfriends. The league’s decision on the length of Avery’s suspension is expected today. . . . UCLA soccer player Sydney Leroux scored the only goal as the U.S. earned a place in the championship game of the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Germany at Coquimbo, Chile. The U.S. faces North Korea in Sunday’s title game. . . . Former NBA player Rodney Rogers is beginning rehabilitation in Atlanta for a spinal cord injury he sustained in an all-terrain vehicle crash in North Carolina.