Reynolds looking for multiyear deal

PHOENIX -- Mark Reynolds said he has begun to have discussions with the D-backs concerning a multiyear contract.

"It's kind of a sticky situation," Reynolds said Friday during an open team workout at Chase Field. "I don't really want to say much about it, but there are talks. There's years being thrown back and forth right now. No money yet, but it could be anywhere from a two- to three-year deal with a couple of options is what I hear. I think the week of the 15th, there's going to be some formal offers made, at least that's what my agent told me yesterday."

Earlier this week, Arizona managing general partner Ken Kendrick told MLB.com: "Under the right circumstances, and it takes both sides, there are four or five guys and Mark is one of them that are core guys that we would like to not have to go through year-by-year arbitration with if we can agree on a multiyear deal."

Reynolds finished just days shy of qualifying for salary arbitration this year, so the club will set his salary for 2010 unless the two sides hammer out an agreement on either a one-year or a multiyear deal.

As is his policy, D-backs general manager Josh Byrnes declined to comment specifically on whether there were talks with Reynolds.

"We have an ongoing dialogue at all times with many of our players," Byrnes said. "With respect to what people want to call active negotiations, I won't comment on that. I'll just say we keep the lines of communication open."

Last season, Reynolds hit .260 with 44 homers and 102 RBIs while collecting an .892 OPS (on-base plus slugging).

"If it gets done, it gets done," Reynolds said of a deal. "If it doesn't, it doesn't. If they come at me with a reasonable offer that's fair, it's something that I'll be willing to take a look at. I'm not hell bent on signing a contract, but it's always nice to make that first fortune and have some guaranteed security. At the same time, I have to play this year and prove that last year was not a fluke."

In order to make sure he does that, Reynolds said he would prefer the negotiations not drag into the regular season, something that Kendrick also said was his preference.

"That's a distraction that I don't really want during the season, and they know that I've expressed that to them," Reynolds said. "If we can work it out and get it done, it would be a weight off my mind -- and I'm sure theirs, too. We'll see where it goes, and in the next couple of weeks, we should know a lot more."

Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training on Feb. 19, while position players do so on Feb. 23.