PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK : Padres’ Benes Less Than Pleased with $400,000 Contract Proposal

The Padres angered starting pitcher Andy Benes on Tuesday when they offered him a one-year, $400,000 contract--about half of what he’s seeking.

Benes, the Padres’ pitcher of the year last season, wants a contract that will pay him close to the $1.2 million that Dodger starter Ramon Martinez is seeking. Instead, the Padres offered Benes a contract that would pay him less than Scott Erickson of the Minnesota Twins ($425,000), who has been in the major leagues one year less than Benes.

“I can’t believe it,” Benes said. “An offer like that tells you that you want to go to arbitration every year. If that’s what they want, that’s fine by me.”

The contract offer to Benes would make him only the eighth-highest pitcher on the staff. Yet, much more frustrating to Benes, is that the contract would leave him making less than half of what Martinez is expected to receive. The Dodgers have offered Martinez about $700,000, but they are expected to settle for close to $950,000.

“He (Martinez) made $250,000 more than I did last year,” Benes said, “and I don’t think that margin should widen. Except for wins, I had a better year than he did.”

Martinez was 17-13 last season, with a 3.27 ERA, allowing 190 hits in 220 1/3 innings. Benes was 15-11 with a 3.03 ERA, allowing 194 hits in 223 innings. Yet, there also was a marked difference in run support that could have easily reversed the records.

Martinez received 4.94 runs per game during the season, the seventh-best offensive support of any National League pitcher. Benes, on the other hand, received only 3.31 runs per game, the second-lowest support in the league.

Still, Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, says he’s not concerned with what the Dodgers want to pay Martinez. He only knows what he believes is a fair price for Benes, who earned $235,000 last year.

“I’m cautiously optimistic we can work something out,” McIlvaine said. “I haven’t had to renew many players.”

McIlvaine--who signed catcher Tom Lampkin, infielder Paul Faries and outfielder Dave Staton to one-year contracts earlier in the day--said he would not budge from today’s self-imposed deadline.

“When the games start,” he said, “I want everybody thinking baseball, not contracts. You either resolve it or you don’t.

“In this situation, the club has a little more advantage. We can say, ‘Take it or leave it.’ We’ll look at the marks, and we’ll pay a player what’s fair.”

Benes said: “What Ramon is getting obviously is going to be top of the line. What Erickson signed for is the other spectrum.

“I understand the Dodgers are in a different league what they can pay their players. But Minnesota and San Diego are sure in the same market size.

“I’d hate to think I’d be paid less than a guy with one year less service time.”

Even if the Padres renew Benes at a contract that he finds inequitable, however, he vows that he won’t walk out of camp. He’ll only express his feelings, perhaps quite subtly.

“Walking out doesn’t do anything,” he said. “That only hurts my preparation for the season. I won’t leave. I love Yuma too much.”

Scott Boras, Benes’ agent, said he’ll talk again with McIlvaine and attempt to resolve their differences. If not, he’ll take the renewal, and remember the experience for a possible arbitration hearing in 1993.

“Andy wants to be treated fairly,” Boras said. “That’s all he’s asking. He should be getting close to what Ramon Martinez gets.”

The Padres’ offer, according to Boras, was based on the $400,000 Eric Hansen received last season from the Seattle Mariners. Yet, Boras says there’s no comparison. He also said the San Francisco Giants are willing to pay starter John Burkett between $500,000 and $550,000.

“Come on, who would you rather have?” he said.

Benes, who has been sidelined after undergoing lower abdomen surgery, is scheduled to pitch off the mound Thursday for the first time since the opening of camp. “I feel the best I’ve felt all spring,” Benes said. “I have no restrictions at all. I know I’m a little behind now, but I’ve still got five weeks to catch up. It’ll be no problem.’ ” . . . The Padres’ starting lineup Thursday night against their mini-camp All-Star squad: Thomas Howard, LF; Kurt Stillwell, 2B; Tony Gwynn, DH; Kevin Ward, CF; Tim Teufel, 1B; Scott Coolbaugh, 3B; Jim Vatcher, RF; Jose Valentin, SS; and catcher Mike Basso. Ricky Bones will start for the Padres’ big-league team, followed by Jose Melendez and Doug Brocail.