PHILADELPHIA -- Still in uniform after Saturday's game, Phil Nevin said he'd heard nothing from Padres management or from his agent about a proposed trade that would send him to Baltimore in exchange for starter Sidney Ponson.

"No one's talked to me yet," Nevin said, having gone 1-for-3 in a 2-0 loss to the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. "It's not solely my decision. If something like that happened, obviously there are a lot of things to think about.

"I have a home out there [in San Diego]. It's a lot closer to PETCO [Park] than Camden [Yards]."

Nevin has contractual veto power over the deal. Reportedly, it's the only thing holding up the deal.

"I've earned this right to be in this spot," he said. "No one's talked to me. In fact, if this is the case, I wish things like this would remain private. You've got more people involved than yourself and the other player. Somebody gets hurt. It's a business, and this is how things go.

"If and when somebody talks to me, I'll let you know."

Reached by phone, Padres general manager Kevin Towers said, "I'm really not going to comment. If you're asking me if a deal is done with Baltimore, it's not. We've had trade discussions with numerous clubs. I'd rather just leave it as it is. If it becomes a deal, I'll let you know."

Nevin, 34, is signed through 2006 and has the contractual right to veto trades to eight teams. The Orioles are among those eight. He will have complete veto rights 59 days into the 2006 season as a 10-year Major League veteran. Nevin is owed about $12 million after this season -- $10 million next year and a $2 million buyout for 2007.

Having played five games since returning from a strained oblique muscle in his left side that kept him out for 22 games, Nevin is batting .263 with nine homers and 47 RBIs.

He used his veto power to reject a deal that would have sent him to the Reds two seasons ago in exchange for Ken Griffey Jr. The Padres have been experiencing pitching problems -- No. 2 starter Adam Eaton has been on the disabled list since injuring his right middle finger on June 15 -- and Ponson could slide into the rotation.

From a purely baseball standpoint, the trade could benefit both players. Nevin, sharing first base with Rafael Palmeiro and serving in the designated hitter role, no doubt would benefit from Camden Yards' cozy dimensions.

Ponson, who has struggled to reach his potential in Baltimore, would likely feel liberated by the vast dimensions of PETCO Park.