OAKLAND, Calif. -- Less than 48 hours after becoming the first Athletics player to hit for the cycle at the Oakland Coliseum, Eric Chavez agreed Friday to a $11.75 million, four-year contract extension through 2004.

Chavez, hitting .288 with 12 homers and 39 RBIs entering Friday night's game against Kansas City, became the ninth Oakland player to sign a contract running through at least the 2001 season.

"It's a very nice pat on the back for me," Chavez said. "It keeps us together and I think we're just going to get better and better as time goes on. It's like they found a core of guys and decided to go with them."

The A's began the day leading the AL West by 1-1/2 games over Seattle and had the third-best record in baseball.

Chavez, a left-handed batter who hit .247 as a rookie last season, struggled so much against left-handers early this season that he appeared likely to wind up in a platoon with Olmedo Saenz for a second consecutive year.

But the 1996 first-round draft choice battled out of his batting slump and has become the club's everyday third baseman.

Heading into Friday's game, Chavez had hit safely in 17 of his last 18 games and was batting .397 over that span. On Wednesday against Baltimore, he became the third player in Oakland history to hit for the cycle.

Chavez, 22, was the eighth-youngest player in major league history to hit for the cycle.

"It's great news to have him in the fold," A's manager Art Howe said. "It's another kid that we've now got locked up."

The A's have eight other players with contracts beyond this season -- including shortstop Miguel Tejada and right fielder Ben Grieve, both of whom signed four-year extensions through 2003 this spring.

Chavez said he was surprised when negotiations on the contract extension resumed recently.

"I never thought they would come through this soon," he said. "I thought they would be waiting until the end of the season and then try to do something."