Howell Makes Pitch on Field, in Office : Dodgers: He ends four-day holdout. Meeting with Claire still leaves him without a contract extension.

His four-day holdout ended, but sour feelings remained Tuesday when Jay Howell reported to Dodgertown, despite little hope of getting a contract extension.

Pitching coach Ron Perranoski said Howell’s first day of throwing was excellent. But his performance in a meeting with Dodger Vice President Fred Claire might have been even stronger. Both Claire and Howell were sweating as they emerged from a 30-minute session in a tiny coaches’ room, probably the result of humidity and the sometimes hot feelings that have accompanied this dispute.

Said Howell, “I made my point clear to him. He understands exactly what I’m saying. I would like a contract extension. Or maybe they should consider letting me play somewhere else.”

Said Claire, “My message to Jay was--and is--I have no interest in extending his contract at this time.”

Retorted Howell, “It seems Fred only sees me as being here a short time, so I have told them maybe they should trade me, get something for me.”

Howell, the Dodgers’ top relief pitcher the last three seasons, said he would rescind the trade request if Claire would add two years to his contract, which expires after this season.

“The thing is, I have wanted to finish my career as a Dodger, and I still do if they want me,” he said. “And I think Fred may still have an interest in me, even though his reaction was that he didn’t. I would always be willing to talk.”

Claire did not slam the door, either.

“I will never say we absolutely will not talk to Jay about this,” he said. “But do I want to see the development of the season? Of course I do.”

Claire also said, however, that he respects players’ wishes to play elsewhere.

“If I player wants to be traded, I will give consideration to those things,” he said. “But remember, Jay is a valuable and important member of this team.”

For now, Howell said he would like to excise this episode from his memory.

“No way I want to carry this stuff around with me all year,” he said. “This has been like a bad game I have to get out of my head. I haven’t gotten any answers, but I can’t worry about it anymore. I have to go on with my season.”

If his brief session on the mound Tuesday was any indication, he is prepared. Fifteen pounds lighter, and apparently recovered from two knee operations last year, Howell was impressive.

“I was telling him, he must have done something while he wasn’t here, because he was throwing great,” Perranoski said. “All of his pitches seemed to be there. This is as good as I can remember seeing him pitch this early in the year.”

Replied Howell, who usually has slow starts, “That isn’t saying much.”

Howell said that during his four days off, he pitched wherever he could, from high schools to playgrounds.

“It rained a lot, so I pitched on a lot of mud, on places they didn’t have rubbers,” Howell said. “But it was all right. I feel ready.”

Howell said he was trying to make a statement with his holdout. But he said the statement had nothing to do with his $1.05-million salary, which makes him the lowest-paid veteran bullpen ace in the National League. He is also the 11th-highest paid player on the club, despite having set a Dodger record with 28 saves in 1989.

“Of course I will honor my current deal. . . . It’s the future I am upset about,” Howell said. “I’ve seen players on other teams getting extended, and I have given a lot to this team and I just wanted the Dodgers to consider the same thing.”

Because he is 35 and beginning his 10th major league season, he is looking for security that he believed he earned by appearing in 151 games in the past three years, despite operations on an elbow and knee.

“I have always given everything to this club. I have pitched when asked. . . . But when I approached Fred with the idea of an extension, he disregarded it out of hand, and that really upset me,” Howell said. “He never really explained why. It isn’t like it is all cut and dry. It isn’t like he hasn’t done it before.

“Maybe there is some kind of problem with me, I don’t know. I just wish they would tell me.”

When asked if Howell’s age and injuries contributed to the Dodgers’ reluctance, Claire said, “There are a lot of factors. . . . There is no getting around the fact that this is a difficult judgment and decision to make.”

The Dodgers have increased their original offer to Ramon Martinez, but his agent said it is unlikely to persuade the holdout pitcher to return to camp.

“This particular move is not likely to produce a resolution,” agent Jim Bronner said after a telephone call from Claire. “But it is a step in the right direction.”

Although neither party would reveal the figure, the Dodgers’ offer of $400,000 was probably increased to about $450,000, which might be as much as $100,000 less than Martinez’s demand.

“Our hope is to get this thing resolved, but if not, we do plan to renew him on Saturday,” Claire said, referring to the first date that the contract of a player with fewer than three years of experience can be unilaterally renewed by the club.

Martinez apparently is going to remain out of camp until a contract is negotiated. Some veteran teammates have termed his holdout “hard to understand” and “a waste of time.”