PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / BOB NIGHTENGALE : Aiming for a Long-Term Deal, Team Negotiates With Fernandez

The Padres have opened contract negotiations with shortstop Tony Fernandez, hoping to have him signed to a long-term contract before the end of the World Series, Padre General Manager Joe McIlvaine said.

Although Fernandez has two option years remaining on his contract, which will pay him $2.1 million in 1992 and $2.3 million in 1993, Fernandez’s leverage is that he has the right to demand a trade.

According to baseball’s Basic Agreement, any player with at least five years of service who is traded during a multi-year contract has the right to demand a trade within 15 days of the conclusion of the World Series. He may list up to six clubs to which he can not be traded. The Padres then would be required to trade him by March 15, 1992. If still untraded, Fernandez would become a free agent.

“We’d like to get it settled,” McIlvaine said, “but we’re going to do it quietly. I’m not interested in talking about it (through the media) during the season.”

Fernandez, who is batting .274 with two homers and 22 RBIs, was acquired along with first baseman Fred McGriff from Toronto during the winter meetings for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter.

“I’m glad they’re talking,” Fernandez said, “but I’m going to let my agent handle this. Hopefully we can get it done.”

Padre starter Dennis Rasmussen, who enters tonight’s game with an eight-game losing streak--longest in the National League--could have been pitching for the Reds tonight instead of against them.

The Reds, who have been offered Rasmussen on several occassions the past two months, turned down yet another trade proposal involving him in the past few weeks. The Padres, according to sources, offered Rasmussen and infielder Paul Faries to the Reds in exchange for infielder Mariano Duncan. The Reds were uninterested.

Duncan, who said he would welcome a trade to the Padres, went on the 15-day disabled list Thursday with a strained muscle in his side.

The Padres, however, figure to talk directly with Duncan in the off-season. He’s eligible for free agency at the end of the season, and his agent, Tony Attanasio, said Duncan will not return to Cincinnati.

The Padres are expected to option starting pitcher Adam Peterson to triple-A Las Vegas today. Peterson is 0-3 with a 10.80 ERA in his past four starts, yielding 20 hits in 13 1/3 innings. He is winless since June 24.

It’s unknown who’ll be activated and take Peterson’s spot on the roster. Pitchers Atlee Hammaker and Pat Clements, who have been on the disabled list, probably be assigned to rehabilitation stints in the minor leagues.

Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent, who was in Houston Thursday for the game, said he’s deeply troubled by the $5-million lawsuit filed Wednesday the Major League Umpires Assn. against Reds Manager Lou Piniella.

“I don’t like it, I don’t like it one bit,” Vincent said. “I don’t think baseball should be in the courts. I’d prefer we work out our problems within baseball.

“I think Piniella’s remarks were inappropriate. I think he went too far. But he also apologized.”

Piniella, enraged Sunday after umpire Gary Darling took a home run away from Billy Doran, said: “I honestly feel that Darling has a bias against us and won’t give us a call all year. It’s time he gets his act together nonw. We have more complaints against him than any other unpire.”

Vincent was scheduled to travel today to Dallas to visit American League umpire Steve Palermo, who was shot in the back attempting to chase a robber.

“He’s got some serious physical problems,” Vincent said. “He has some paralysis.”

Padre starter Ed Whitson, who is recovering from elbow surgery, will not be able to pitch off the mound as planned this weekend. Whitson’s elbow was tender Thursday, and he said he will delay pitching off the mound for at least a week.

“I hope to still come back and make a couple of starts,” Whitson said. “But what I’m really looking forward to is next season. I’m going to hire a physical therapist in Columbus (Ohio) and work with him five days a week. And when I come back, I’m going to be right.”

The Padres and No. 1 draft pick Joey Hamilton are at an impasse, and the Padres now are preparing themselves for the possibility of losing him. “We’ve offered top dollar (about $350,000) to him,” McIlvaine said. “If he wants to go back to college, that’s up to him. But he’s fooling himself if he thinks he’s going to get any more money next year. But if that’s what he wants to do, it’s up to him.” . . . Fernandez sustained a sprained lower back sliding home in the first inning Wednesday and was questionable for Thursday’s game. Yet, after receiving treament for almost two hours, Fernandez played, going three for five with two doubles. . . . Tony Gwynn has been receiving treatment on his sore left knee and has limited his batting practice time. “I figure the longer I’m off the artificial turf,” Gwynn said, “the better.” He promptly drove in three runs in the game, equalling a season-high that was last accomplished May 23.