Larkin Re-Signs With Cincy

C I N C I N N A T I, July 24, 2000 -- Barry Larkin is staying in Cincinnati — forthe rest of this season and the next three as well.

Hours after he rejected a trade to the Mets, the All-Starshortstop agreed Sunday to a three-year, $27 million contractextension that will keep him with his hometown Reds through 2003.

Appearing in a suit and tie at the Reds’ offices five hoursafter a 5-3 victory over Arizona, Larkin admitted he was stunnedwhen owner Carl Lindner decided to give him almost exactly what hehad sought.

Reds general manager Jim Bowden, who arranged a trade with theMets, sought out Larkin after the game and told him that Lindnerwanted to talk about his contract.

Larkin Shocked

“This has all really come as a shock to me,” Larkin said.“Today I fielded questions about possibly being a Met. Now Mr.Lindner and the organization have stepped up and signed me forthree more years as a Red.”

Mets general manager Steve Phillips had the same reaction to theReds’ stunning about-face.

“Astonishment,” Phillips said, “only because Jim Bowden toldme they were not going to sign him. ... I guess we helped BarryLarkin get a contract.”

Only five days earlier, the Reds told Larkin they wouldn’t meethis request for a three-year, $27.9 million extension. Since Larkincould be a free agent, Bowden worked out a trade with the Mets forthree players.

It required Larkin’s approval. He wouldn’t give it because theMets weren’t offering a contract extension.

News Draws Ovation

His decision to stay drew a 30-second standing ovation from34,822 fans on Sunday. It also became a prelude to the club’sstrangest day since Lindner took control of the team from MargeSchott last September.

The Reds wound up giving Larkin only $900,000 less than herequested. A little less than one-third of the $27 million will bedeferred over 15 years, according to a source familiar with thecontract.

Larkin, who makes $5.3 million this season, will get $6 millionnext year. When Bowden called him aside after the game, he thoughthe’d been traded to a different team.

“I thought OK, if not New York, then where?” Larkin said. “Ithought I was going to be talking to Jim about going to another bigmarket club that needed a shortstop. This all happened very fast.I’m very appreciative of it.”

Phillips wished the Reds would have called and told him aboutthe extension, which he learned about secondhand.

“I think it’s appropriate he finishes his career inCincinnati,” Phillips said. “It’s good for him and his family. Iunderstand that part. But if he wanted out, we were interested.”

Raising Prices

Ken Griffey Jr., who blocked a trade to the Mets last December,had offered to defer even more of his $116.5 million deal to helpkeep Larkin in Cincinnati. Chief operating officer John Allen saidthe club didn’t take him up on the offer.

The Reds will have to raise ticket prices — maybe this season — to cover the contract, Allen said. The Reds will depend upon ticketrevenues until they move into a new stadium in 2003, the final yearof Larkin’s new deal.

“I announce that right now: There’s going to be a ticket priceincrease and possibly before the end of this season,” Allen said.“We’re going to review that over the next few days and we may dosomething that nobody else has ever done and raise ticket pricesduring a season. We’ve got to generate the revenues to pay forthis.”

Griffey, who had lobbied for the Reds to keep Larkin, showed upfor the news conference and gave him a hug.

Junior Excited by News

“I’m really excited,” Griffey said. “This is one of thereasons I came over here, to play with this guy. Since springtraining, it’s been great. Now I get to do it for the next threeyears.”

The Reds’ surprising offer ended a day of ovations, acrimony anddisappointment for the 36-year-old Larkin, who has played all 15 ofhis major league seasons with his hometown team and wanted tofinish his career in Cincinnati.

The tentative trade with the Mets led to bruised feelingsbetween Larkin and the front office. Larkin suggested the Mets weremisled.

Larkin said that Bowden failed to tell the Mets in advance abouthis conditions for approving the trade. Larkin wanted a multiyearextension, but the Mets were only interested in him as a stopgapfor with shortstop Rey Ordonez sidelined by a broken arm thisseason.

Larkin would have liked New York — he named his oldest daughterBrielle D’Shea, after the Mets’ stadium — but made it clear hewouldn’t go there for only a half-season.

“All the parties knew that — at least, that’s what we toldJim,” Larkin said. “But he obviously didn’t relay that to theMets. I guess they didn’t realize what was going on with thisentire thing.”

Phillips confirmed that the Mets agreed to talk to Larkin on theassumption he would accept a trade for this season only.

“I called Jim (on Friday) and said, ‘Where is Barry on this?“‘Phillips said. “Jim told me, ‘Oh, don’t worry, he’ll accept thedeal.’ Jim said he might be talking a little bit, but he wasconvinced he would want to get out of the negativity in Cincinnati.

Misunderstood?

“It seems there was a misunderstanding. From my discussionswith Eric and Jim, they were not on the same page with what wasgoing to happen with his contract.”

Bowden said he didn’t tell the Mets about Larkin’s contractconditions because he didn’t learn about them until Thursday, afterNew York agreed to the tentative deal.

“That’s correct because we were not told until after the dealwas consummated,” Bowden said.

The Mets weren’t interested in offering a long-term deal becauseit would limit their options in the offseason. Ordonez has threeyears left on a $19 million contract he signed in January, andSeattle shortstop Alex Rodriguez might be a free agent.

“It’s going to be an appealing free-agent class out there andwe didn’t want to make all the decisions today, not knowing whatthe future is going to be like,” Phillips said.