PADRES GO TO BULLPEN : As Davis, Team’s Ace Reliever, Ponders Free Agent Market, Chicago Law Firm Is Brought in to Make a Pitch as the Stopper

The Padres, in an attempt to re-sign pitcher Mark Davis, preferably before he files for free agency, have enlisted a Chicago law firm to assist in the negotiations.

Fred Lane, of the law firm Sonnenschein, Carlin, Math and Rosenthal, has been retained by the Padres to help handle the negotiations with Beth Benes, general counsel of the Padres. Benes, the personal counsel of owner Joan Kroc, also is on the Padres’ board of directors.

Padre President Dick Freeman said neither he nor Tony Siegle, vice president/personnel, will participate in negotiations.

Davis, who saved a franchise-record 44 games this season, two fewer than the major-league record of 46 set by Dave Righetti of the New York Yankees in 1986, is eligible to file for free agency at the end of this month.

He earned $600,000 this season after making $500,000 in 1988. With his two-year contract expired, Davis is expected to seek a minimum of $6 million over three years.

Davis asked for a two-year contract for $2.3 million this spring but was turned down.

Davis, 28, has until 15 days after the conclusion of the World Series to file for free agency. His agent, Alan Hendricks, said that they have yet to negotiate with the Padres since the season ended Sunday but that he expects to resume talks by this weekend.

The Padres have one other player--outfielder Carmelo Martinez--who is eligible for free agency but have decided that they will not attempt to re-sign him. Infielder Tim Flannery was eligible for free agency but retired two days before the end of the season.

The Padres have yet to decide whether they will bid for any other potential free agents, Freeman said, and will arrive at a decision only when the filings are complete.

Even though the final numbers are not in, the Padres are believed to have made a profit once again for the 1989 season. They sold 2,286,795 tickets, Freeman said, the second-largest total in franchise history, next to the 2.6 million sold in 1985.