Santiago: No Hope, No Future : Baseball: Catcher says he is convinced the Padres will trade him during the 1992 season.

Benito Santiago, who once believed he would spend his entire career in a Padres uniform, said Friday he has given up any hope of staying in San Diego and is convinced he’ll be traded during the 1992 season.

There was no anger in his voice. Little bitterness. Only exasperation.

“There’s nothing to get mad about,” said Santiago, a two-time All-Star catcher. “That kind of stuff used to drive me crazy. But I know it doesn’t do any good to get upset. They have a right to do what they want. I have a right to do what I want.

“The sad part, I guess, it that it looks like it’s over.”

Santiago, who is expected to seek the highest arbitration award in Padre history within the next 10 days, says he has no idea when or where he will be traded but is sure it will happen.

“I’d love to stay in San Diego,” Santiago said, “but I think they’ll trade me before the year’s over. They don’t want to sign me to a long-term contract, so they’ll trade me to somebody who needs a catcher.

“That’s fine. I have no problems with that. I’ll let them make a decision before I make mine. I’ll just keep playing the best I can until that happens.”

Said Scott Boras, Santiago’s agent: “I think it’s very clear what will happen. If the Padres are in the pennant hunt, they’ll keep him. If not, they’ll trade him, probably for prospects. Then it will be all over.

“Simply, Benito Santiago has become the Padres’ answer to the Angels’ Wally Joyner.”

In the 10-day filing period begins today, Santiago is expected to submit an arbitration demand exceeding $3 million, has informed the Padres he would be willing to negotiate a multi-year contract before being eligible for free agency at the end of the 1992 season. However, the Padres have not had any negotiating sessions with Santiago or Boras since last Feburary.

Padres General Manager Joe McIlvaine and Boras are expected to talk this week. McIlvaine will listen, he said, only if Santiago reduces his demand of a year ago when he sought $16 million over four years.

Sorry, Santiago said, but the price has gone up.

Although Santiago and Boras won’t divulge their contract demands, sources said Santiago is seeking at least $20 million over five years. If the Padres won’t pay it, Santiago and Boras are convinced they can get it on the free-agent market in a year.

“Mr. McIlvaine is very consistent,” Boras said. “He just does not think Santiago is that good of a ballplayer. I don’t know why he thinks that, because I defy anyone to name any catcher in the game that can do everything as well as Benny.”

Does Boras believe there will be any contract negotiations before Santiago files for arbitration before the Jan. 14 deadline?

“Forgive me for laughing,” Boras said. “We’ve had a difference of opinion on Benny’s value since Day 1, and that’s not going to change.

“Are they going to offer Benito Santiago a five-year contract?

“I think the answer is clearly a resounding no.”

McIlvaine was on vacation and unavailable for comment, but he said two weeks ago that the Padres would not offer Santiago a contract much higher than their four-year, $11 million proposal of a year ago.

“Unless they drop their demands,” McIlvaine said, “I don’t see much chance we have of signing him.”

Santiago, who earned $1.65 million last season, probably will have no choice but to file for arbitration for the third consecutive year. He could become the highest-paid catcher in baseball for 1992, surpassing Mickey Tettleton’s $3 million salary in Detroit.

Santiago is one of six Padres who are eligible to file for arbitration. Also eligible are pitchers Randy Myers, Greg Harris and Mike Maddux, outfielder Darrin Jackson and catcher Dann Bilardello.

Meanwhile, the Padres’ deadline for re-signing free agent infielder Tim Teufel is nearing. The Padres must sign Teufel by 9 p.m. Wednesday or lose his rights until May 1.

The Padres have offered Teufel a two-year, non-guaranteed contract for about $1.2 million, according to sources. Teufel, who could become the Padres’ starting third baseman, is seeking a guaranteed contract that will pay him $800,000 to $900,000 a year. Teufel also is being courted by the Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Royals, New York Yankees and possibly the Oakland Athletics, should they lose infielder Mike Gallego.

The Padres also have made contact again with Dennis Gilbert, the agent for free agent outfielder Danny Tartabull. They asked if Tartabull would would be interested in signing a two- or three-year contract. The answer was no.

Tartabull already has received lucrative offers from the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox. The Rangers currently have the high bid with a five-year, $20 million offer, but the Yankees have arranged a meeting today in Los Angeles in which they are expected to increase their initial offer.

The Angels also remain much in the hunt for Tartabull. Whitey Herzog, Angel vice president, has scheduled a meeting early in the week with Gilbert, according to an American League source, and are expected to join the bidding. Tartabull said he probably will make his decision within a week.

Santiago plans to maintain keen interest how Tartabull affects the marketplace.

In addition, the contracts for Dodger catcher Mike Sciosica and Angel catcher Lance Parrish expire in a year, and the expansion Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies join the NL in a year.

“There are going to be a lot of teams looking for a catcher next year,” said Santiago, a three-time Gold Glove winner and four-time Silver Slugger honoree. “Who knows, maybe I’ll just go up the road. But I’m not going to worry about it now. I just want to play ball, and then see what happens.

“Could be very interesting, no?”