Santiago to Return to Table : Padres: Catcher reverses earlier stance and says he’ll discuss contract in off-season. Padres fall to Astros, 2-1 in 12 innings.

Padre catcher Benito Santiago, who had vowed to reject further contract negotiations with the Padres until becoming a free agent in 1992, said Monday he’s decided to provide the club with another opportunity to sign him.

Santiago revealed his decision before the Padres’ 2-1, 12-inning defeat to the Houston Astros. Astro catcher Craig Biggio obtained the game-winning hit with a two-out single, giving the Astros their eighth consecutive victory, their longest winning streak since May 26-June 4, 1989.

The game, witnessed by 14,577 at the Astrodome, featured 29 strikeouts by both teams--12 by Astro starter Pete Harnisch and eight by Padre starter Greg Harris--the most in the major leagues this season.

Santiago’s performance certainly won’t be preserved for his memoirs. Santiago was hitless in five at-bats, and his throwing error on a pick-off attempt in the fourth inning accounted for the Astros’ lone run through the first 12 innings.

Still, Santiago is considered the best catcher in the league, and he likely will command a four-year contract worth about $20 million to stay in San Diego. He sought a four-year, $17.5-million contract last winter, which immediately was rejected. The Padres offered a four-year, $11.5-million contract, which was rejected just as quickly.

“I wasn’t happy with what happened last winter,” Santiago said, “but I’ll let them talk to me again, and we’ll see what happens. We’ll talk in the off-season, and see whether they want to sign me.”

The Padres had no more contract negotiations with Santiago and agent Scott Boras, and there were no attempts even to settle a one-year contract. Santiago lost his arbitration case, receiving $1.65 million. He said after the decision that he would not talk to the Padres again about a contract until he filed for free agency at the end of the 1992 season.

“I gave them their chance,” Santiago said, “but now I’m giving them another. I want to stay in San Diego. I really do. I love it here.

“But it’s not my decision, it’s the Padres’.”

Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, said he welcomes the opportunity to talk again with Santiago and Boras. Yet, it appears unlikely that the Padres will offer a contract worth more than $15 million.

“The upsetting thing last winter was that we never even had a chance to sign Benny,” McIlvaine said. “The first time I talked with Boras was the last. The first words out of his mouth were, ‘Joe, we’re going to have to go to arbitration on this.’ I know that’s never come out before, but that’s what happened.

“We had no chance to sign Santiago. No chance at all.

“And when they came in with a salary demand of $17.5 million, that was totally out of line. It was unrealistic. We were totally backed in a corner.”

Does McIlvaine believe the Padres have a practical chance to sign Santiago this winter?

“Not if they’re completely out in left field again,” he said.

If the Padres don’t sign Santiago, they figure to trade him in the off-season. Baseball executives insist that Santiago is on the trading block, and the Padres are looking for a top-quality infielder in return.

One National League source said the Padres are very interested in New York Mets third baseman Gregg Jefferies, and will offer Santiago in exchange.

“We may have no other alternative (but to trade him) if we can’t sign Benny,” McIlvaine said. “But we haven’t talked to any teams about him.”

In the meantime, Santiago said, he’ll simply continue playing to his abilities, and hope that Padre fans understand his stance. He said he knows it’s difficult for fans to understand why someone would turn down $11.5 million. But, this is a business, too, he said.

“They have the right to boo me,” Santiago said, “but I don’t have to like it. I love San Diego. I want to play here. But I want to make the right business decision, too.

“The thing I don’t understand is that people don’t appreciate me here. They boo me in San Diego, and cheer me in other cities.

“Look around, I’m the best catcher in the league. There’s no doubt about it. I don’t like to talk about it, but just look at the numbers.”

Indeed, no catcher in the National League can touch Santiago’s offensive numbers. He is hitting .255 with 11 homers and 47 RBIs. No other catcher in the league has hit more than five homers, and no one has more than 40 RBIs.

Most intriguing about Santiago’s statistics is the difference at home and on the road. He is batting .265 with eight homers and 37 RBIs on the road, compared to .243 with three homers and 14 RBIs at home.

“There’s a reason for that,” Santiago said, “I don’t get booed on the road. The fans in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, they appreciate me. They stick together.

“In San Diego, they read bad stuff about me, and boo me. It’s like they don’t bother to get to know me. They don’t understand me. It’s like I’m a man from outer space or something.”

Perhaps this is why Santiago has braced himself for a trade. His popularity has waned. His signablity is a longshot. And his marketability is high.