Gwynn’s Contract Extended : Baseball: Outfielder, Padres agree in principle to three-year, $12.3-million deal.

All-Star outfielder Tony Gwynn, who questioned at times during the winter whether the Padres still wanted him, agreed in principle Wednesday night to a three-year contract extension that will make him the third highest-paid player in baseball.

Gwynn, according to a source in the Major League Players Assn., orally agreed to a contract that will pay him $12.3 million from 1993-1995, an average of $4.1 million a year.

The only players in baseball who have a higher average salary during those three years are pitcher Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox ($5.38 million) and right fielder Jose Canseco of the Oakland Athletics ($4.7 million).

The major stumbling block in the negotiations was cleared Wednesday when the Padres consented to guarantee all three years of Gwynn’s contract. Although the Padres refused to provide Gwynn with a complete no-trade clause, sources say the contract likely will include at least six teams to which Gwynn can not be traded.

Although no one is confirming that the monetary value of the deal is finalized, sources say the only major detail remaining is determining the signing bonus and the yearly breakdown of the $12.3 million. Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, and John Boggs, Gwynn’s agent, are scheduled to meet this morning to complete the deal.

“All I can say is that it looks pretty close,” Boggs said. “We’ve crossed that big hurdle to get us over the hump. Tony’s pretty happy with the bulk amount.”

McIlvaine said: “We’re trying to bring this thing to a conclusion, and we hope to have something done today.”

Gwynn, a four-time batting champion, still will be tied to his current contract the next two seasons. He’s scheduled to earn $2 million this season and $2 million in 1992. But even with his current contract, Gwynn’s remaining five years under contract averages $3.26 million a year--ranking 20th in baseball.

“It’s funny how things change,” Gwynn said Wednesday night. “I really thought there might be a possibility of me getting traded this off-season. I thought maybe the only way to rectify the situation was to trade me.

“But I never wanted to leave, not for even a split second. This is home. This is where I want to be. I like my teammates. I like the city. I like the ballpark. I don’t ever want to leave.

“When you’ve been with an organization as long as I have, you get attached to it, and it’s something I’ll never be able to shake.”

Yet, there were times last season, Gwynn acknowledges, when he felt like a foreigner in his homeland. He was publicly chastised by several teammates. Jack Clark, in particular, accused Gwynn of selfishness. There was a team meeting during which Gwynn was ridiculed by several veterans. And when he unleashed his frustration orally in September, the attack was even more vicious against him.

“It was a long season, let me tell you,” Gwynn said, “but it’s over now. It’s all behind me. A lot of what happened shouldn’t have happened, and I made some mistakes too.

“That’s why I’m going into spring training with the goal of proving myself. I want to prove to people I can still do it. I’m 30 years old, but it’s like starting all over again.

“I think there are still people out there who have doubts about what I did in the past, but now it’s up to me to prove them wrong. And if the way I’m swinging the bat now is any indication, I’ve still got it.”

Gwynn, whose .309 batting average last season was his lowest since 1983, says he has been diligently working out since the end of the season. His broken index finger, which ended his season two weeks early, is fully healed. His jaw, from which a tumor was removed two weeks ago, still is tender, but mended.

He hopes to arrive in camp weighing 212, but realistically, he figures to come in at 216, one pound lighter than his playing weight last season. And yes, he figures the criticism will again begin that he’s not lean enough.

“I’ve busted my behind this winter,” Gwynn said. “I’ve even documented everything to show people. But with my body type, people are going to complain about it. Ever since I hit this town in ‘77, people have been dogging me about it.

“But this body sure has done a lot for me, and I’m not about to apologize for it.

“It’s gotten me this far, hasn’t it?”