Team Facing Deadline Today on Perez Decision

Trying to resolve a difficult deadline situation, the Dodgers and agents for Carlos Perez met Tuesday about the left-handed pitcher’s reluctance to extend a May 1 agreement that enables the club to send him to the minor leagues.

The agreement, which had allowed the Dodgers the option of evaluating Perez in the minors, expires today.

If the Dodgers had tried to send Perez to the minors May 1 and he refused, they would have been forced to release him and pay the remainder of his $15.6-million contract. The Dodgers agreed to keep Perez on the 25-man roster in exchange for his cooperation.

Now, having recently passed his five-year mark of major league service, Perez is adamantly opposed to waiving his rights again.

Dodger General Manager Kevin Malone, Chairman Bob Daly and team counsel Sam Fernandez discussed the situation with Perez’s representatives, Tom Reich and Adam Katz, while watching Tuesday night’s game against the New York Mets.

Unless Perez softens his stance, the Dodgers will be forced to keep him on the roster for the remainder of the season or option him to Albuquerque before tonight’s game.

Malone, who approached Perez on Monday about extending the agreement, declined comment for the second time in as many days.

Perez had much to say again.

“That was a surprise to me,” Perez said of Malone’s extension request. “To me, I pitched good, I didn’t expect that.

“I don’t know why they have to ask me that. Everything is going good.”

The pitcher, who is 4-2 with a 5.40 earned-run average, intimated he has instructed his agents to hold firm against an extension.

“I guess they work for me and they have to do their jobs,” Perez said. “They know what they have to do.”

Reich expressed frustration about the situation becoming public.

“This is something that should not be public,” he said. “These types of issues should reside within the club. I don’t know how everyone knows about this issue, but obviously they do.”

Perez is making $5 million this season and $7.5 million next. Malone said recently the Dodgers aren’t considering releasing Perez.

Something will occur today, and Perez said he’s prepared.

“I’m ready for good things or bad things,” he said. “I’m ready for anything.”

TONIGHT

DODGERS’

KEVIN BROWN

(4-1, 2.57 ERA)

vs.

METS’

MIKE HAMPTON

(6-4, 3.99 ERA)

Dodger Stadium, 7

TV--Fox Sports Net 2.

Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330).

* Update--Brown has a 2.08 ERA in his last seven starts. The right-hander has given up only 12 earned runs in his last 52 innings, and has not been charged with more than three runs in any start this season. Brown is 2-4 with a 3.07 ERA against the Mets. Hampton has rebounded after a slow start. The left-hander, a 22-game winner with the Houston Astros last season, has given up only three earned runs in his last 31 1/3 innings.