Piazza a free agent as Padres decline option

Catcher hit .283 with 22 home runs and 68 RBIs last season

updated 1:46 a.m. ET Nov. 2, 2006

SAN DIEGO - The San Diego Padres declined to exercise the 2007 options for catcher Mike Piazza and slugger Ryan Klesko on Monday, while deciding to bring back outfielder Mike Cameron and infielder-outfielder Russell Branyan.

The Padres also arranged their first interviews in their search to replace manager Bruce Bochy.

St. Louis Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo is scheduled to interview on Tuesday, while Trey Hillman, manager of the Japanese team Nippon Ham Fighters, is due to interview on Thursday.

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Bruce Bochy, San Diego’s manager since 1995, jumped to the San Francisco Giants on Friday because the Padres hadn’t offered him an extension beyond next season.

Piazza had an $8 million option or a $750,000 buyout.

The 38-year-old catcher hit .283 with 22 home runs and 68 RBIs in 126 games after signing as a free agent.

His 22 home runs set a single-season record for a San Diego catcher. On April 26, he became the 41st player in big league history to reach the 400-homer plateau. He has 419 career homers and is the career leader with 396 home runs as a catcher.

The Padres held an $8 million option on Klesko, or a $500,000 buyout.

Klesko missed the first 150 games while rehabbing from surgery on his left shoulder. He joined the Padres in a trade with Atlanta before the 2000 season.

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Cameron hit .268 with 22 home runs and 83 RBIs in his first season with San Diego. He was obtained for Xavier Nady in a trade with the New York Mets last Nov. 18.