PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates' contract talks with catcher Jason Kendall are at a stalemate, apparently because of the significant amount of money the Pirates want to defer in a proposed $60 million, six-year deal.

	Kendall

"The talks are at an impasse and, other than that, I have no comment," general manager Cam Bonifay said Tuesday.

The Pirates are trying to lock up Kendall, a three-time All-Star and a consistent .300 hitter, with a long-term contract before they open their new ballpark next season. Kendall could become a free agent after the 2001 season.

The Pirates have offered Kendall a contract that would make him the second highest-paid catcher behind the Mets' Mike Piazza, even though Kendall does not hit for power and will finish the season with about one-third as many RBI as Piazza. Piazza has a $91 million contract.

But while Kendall has told friends in baseball that the money is acceptable, he is reluctant to sign a contract in which about 40 percent of the money -- or more -- might be deferred.

Because the Pirates, who play in baseball's second-smallest market, lack the significant revenues of clubs such as the Yankees and Braves, they are asking their top players to defer some money until they move into their new ballpark and their revenues gradually increase.

The Pirates recently signed outfielder Brian Giles to a $45 million, six-year contract -- $12 million of it deferred, a significant sum by comparison to most multimillion dollar contracts in baseball.

Giles agreed to defer some money to help the Pirates sign Kendall and pitcher Todd Ritchie, who signed a $5.5 million, two-year contract last month.

Kendall has said little about the talks since the amount of the contract offer was revealed, saying, "I really don't want to talk about it. Everybody knows I want to stay here, and I'm just trying to concentrate on playing."

Despite Bonifay's remarks the talks are stalled, Kendall's agent, Dan Lozano, has told the Pirates to be more creative. It is believed Kendall would sign if the Pirates shifted more of the money into upfront cash rather than deferred money.

Kendall is making $2.1 million this season.

Kendall's reluctance to defer millions of dollars holds more significance in Pittsburgh than it would most cities. Two of the city's best-known athletes, Mario Lemieux and Dave Parker, did not receive all of the money initially due them in long-term contracts.

Several years after 1985 federal court testimony revealed Parker used cocaine, the Pirates sued the former NL MVP to keep from paying money owed under the $8 million, five-year contract he agreed to in 1978.

The Pirates argued Parker's drug use negatively affected his play and thus negated the contract. The two sides settled out of court, with Parker accepting less money than was due in his initial contract.

Lemieux wound up buying the Penguins last year after the team went bankrupt and couldn't pay him more than $26 million owed him in deferred compensation. Lemieux subsequently rolled the money due him into an equity stake he used to become the team's majority owner.

Despite Kendall's reluctance to sign the contract, he is not being booed during home games and has generally received a warm reception each time his name is announced. A banner hanging in Three Rivers Stadium on Monday night read, "Please stay."