Talk’s Cheap For Buhner, M’S But Making A Deal May Be Another Story As Owners Open Renegotiations With Slugger

Seattle Mariners officials have received permission from team owners to begin negotiating a contract extension for outfielder Jay Buhner.

Now for the hard part. It is one thing to open talks, but another entirely to close them successfully.

“We will make an offer as soon as possible and trust reaching agreement won’t be too difficult,” said Chuck Armstrong, Mariners team president and point man for the negotiations. “But you never know.”

Buhner knows.

“With me,” said the man who plays right field, produces runs and pumps the lifeblood through the Seattle club, all with ferocity, “it somehow is never easy.”

Buhner would love to hear an offer in the $6 million- to $7 million-per-season range, but it is doubtful the club is ready to say it.

In negotiating a two- or three-year deal, the parties must strike a balance between Buhner’s power, 84 homers and 259 runs batted in the past two seasons, and, at 32, the possibility of diminishing returns.

Also coming into play will be Buhner’s hope of playing nearly his entire career with the Mariners. But offsetting that will be the contentious creativity of his agents, Randy and Alan Hendricks. Already this off-season, the brothers showed their disdain of Boston’s negotiations by hoisting future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens out of Fenway Park and dropping him in Canada.

To Buhner, who is entering the last part of a three-year, $15.5-million deal, Albert Belle’s $11 million per year for five years might make some kind of sense in Chicago, but it does not compute here.

“How can anyone get $11 million a year?” asked Buhner. “I don’t know if anyone’s worth that, anywhere.”

Buhner and the Hendricks will pay more attention to Bobby Bonilla’s new contract with the Marlins. Bonilla, 34, who produced 28 fewer homers and 45 fewer RBIs than Buhner the past two seasons, will get $23 million for four years.

“I’m worth that investment if he is,” Buhner said of Bonilla. “But I emphasize that money should not be the issue. The biggest thing is respect. I don’t want this to be dragged out with hassled negotiations. And I don’t think you can call Seattle a small market anymore, either.”

Buhner sounds like a gentler soul than he was two years back when he and wife Leah were immersed in building a house in Houston. After he signed with the Mariners, the Buhners bought a house in Issaquah and in December were close to buying land for a new house when the stadium stalled and team owners put up their for-sale sign.

“Now that that’s settled we’re looking for 25 acres again, out the back part of Issaquah,” he said.

Buhner originally sought two more years, but is leaning toward three if the club is willing. He wants to help establish his team in its new ballpark.

“With the delays it seems the park won’t be ready until about the All-Star break in 1999,” he said. “Well, I had a hand in designing the layout and I want to play my share of games there, so I like the idea of playing through 2000.”

After that, Buhner sees himself taking his four children to Mariners games, to Sonics games, enjoying Seattle as a big-league sports town.

“And after that, I’ll take my kids’ kids,” he said. “This is home now for our family. This is where we’ve planted our roots and want to keep them. I want to finish my career as I played it, as a Mariner. That would mean a lot to me, a whole lot.”

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Power numbers As he seeks a contract extension, Seattle right fielder Jay Buhner can bank on last season’s 44 homers and 138 runs batted in.