BASEBALL NOTEBOOK: HOW MUCH DO THEY LONG FOR GLAVINE?

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

Tom Glavine has decided what he's worth - $45 million over four years. Who'll pay it?

The two-time National League Cy Young Award winner was awaiting responses from Atlanta, Philadelphia and the New York Mets. The later two have offered three-year contracts while the Braves, the only team he's played for, has proposed a two-year deal with a team option for 2005.

``Everybody got the same proposal,'' said Glavine's agent, Gregg Clifton. ``That was one of the things Tom insisted on, to make sure every team understood there was no favoritism going on.''

Glavine would be 40 in the final season of a four-year deal, and he said last week he wasn't necessarily looking for his 2006 salary to be fully guaranteed.

``We're going to respond accordingly,'' Mets general manager Steve Phillips said from a cruise ship in the Caribbean. ``I'm leaving it somewhat ambiguous for a reason. I'd rather not characterize what that response would be, one way or another.''

Phillies officials have said they think Glavine will wind up re-signing with the Braves.

``I don't really have a feel whether he's going to go back to Atlanta or not,'' Phillips said. ``We can only do what we can do. We made a strong pitch, I think, the day Tom was in town.''

Glavine, one of baseball's premier left-handers, visited the Mets on Thursday and the Phillies on Friday.

Glavine, 18-11 with a 2.96 ERA this year, hasn't been happy with the Braves, who at first offered only a one-year contract. Braves general manager John Schuerholz declined comment on the pitcher's proposal.

--Thome's tune: Now that David Bell has joined the Philadelphia Phillies, they're waiting to find out whether Jim Thome will come aboard, too.

Phillies general manager Ed Wade and other team officials met with the free-agent first baseman Monday and increased their offer to $95 million over six years, a team source said Tuesday on the condition of anonymity.

The proposal contains a team option for 2009 that would make the contract worth up to $115 million, the source said.

Cleveland, Thome's only major-league club, increased its offer Monday to about $60 million over five years, an Indians team source said, also on the condition of anonymity. Thome might make his decision before Thanksgiving.

``I talked to him three or four times over the last month,'' said Bell, a friend of Thome's from his two stints with the Indians in 1995 and 1998. ``My gut feeling is he's going to make a good decision and the right decision.''

Philadelphia's previous offer had been for $75 million over five years. Phillies manager Larry Bowa, who received a contract extension Tuesday through 2004, is optimistic Thome will turn down Cleveland, which selected him in the 13th round of the 1989 amateur draft, and choose Philadelphia.

``I might be surprised if he's not coming,'' Bowa said. ``I know he wants to win. He's gathering a lot of information, and it's a decision he has to make.''

Thome, the most coveted hitter in this winter's free-agent market, hit a club-record 52 homers for the Indians last season. He also hit .304 with 118 RBI, 122 walks and had a .445 on-base percentage.

The 32-year-old has a .287 batting average, 334 homers and 927 RBI in a 12-year major-league career. He has hit at least 30 homers in seven consecutive seasons.

--Catching up: The Chicago Cubs picked up catcher Paul Bako from the Milwaukee Brewers, just two weeks after getting catcher Damian Miller from Arizona.

``I told you earlier we were going to address our catching, so that's what we're doing,'' said Cubs general manager Jim Hendry, who also has Todd Hunley on the roster and is said to want free-agent catcher Ivan Rodriguez.

The Cubs are hoping to deal Hundley, in a slump ever since he signed a $23.5 million, four-year deal two years ago. And Rodriguez is probably out of the Cubs' league, earning $9.6 million last season.

In Bako, the Cubs know they're getting a strong defensive catcher. He has a .990 fielding percentage in five seasons with Milwaukee, Detroit, Houston, Florida and Atlanta.

--In trouble: New York Mets outfielder Roger Cedeno was arrested and charged with driving under the influence in southwest Florida.

The Florida Highway Patrol arrested the 28-year-old after he was seen drifting into other lanes erratically in his car around 3 a.m. EST Tuesday. Cedeno was released from jail after posting a $500 bond. A court date for Cedeno's DUI charge is set for Dec. 23.

--Pay more for the worst: The New York Mets are raising the price for their best box seats by as much as $12 for their top opponents next season and lowering them by $6 for their lesser rivals.

Just as the New York Yankees did this month, the Mets cited baseball's new collective-bargaining agreement as a reason for the overall increase. The Yankees' top price also will rise to $72.

``Our average ticket-price increase of 4 percent is essentially a cost-of-living adjustment, intended primarily to help offset substantially increased operating costs to the club under the new Basic Agreement, while maintaining our goal of fielding a contending team,'' Mets vice president Bill Ianniciello said.

--Coaching staffs announced: The Mets will have former Chicago Cubs and Colorado Rockies manager Don Baylor as a bench coach for new manager Art Howe. Gary Pettis also was hired as a first-base coach, with Vern Ruhle as the pitching coach and Denny Walling as hitting coach.

Howe, Ruhle and Walling all were teammates with the Houston Astros in the 1980s.

Matt Galante, the only holdover from Bobby Valentine's staff, will remain as third-base and infield coach.

Mookie Wilson, who had been New York's first-base coach, is being offered a position as a Mets minor-league instructor.

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, former Detroit manager Luis Pujols will be the first-base coach for new manager Felipe Alou, who is keeping three holdovers on his San Francisco Giants' staff.

Remaining from former manager Dusty Baker's staff are pitching coach Dave Righetti, hitting coach Joe Lefebvre and bench coach Ron Wotus, who will be in his fifth year as bench coach. Lefebvre was first-base coach last season.

TOP REMAINING FREE AGENTS

Player - Who wants him

Tom Glavine - Atlanta, Philadelphia, N.Y. Mets

--Who'll give him a four-year, $45 million contract?

Jim Thome - Cleveland, Philadelphia

--Might have a decision by Thursday

Greg Maddux - Atlanta, Arizona

--Wants a five-year, $65 million contract

Ivan Rodriguez - Chicago Cubs

--Rangers are done with him

Roger Clemens - N.Y. Yankees

--They can't afford to lose him

Jeff Kent - San Francisco

--Should re-sign anytime soon

Hideki Matsui - N.Y. Yankees

--Just figuring out the exchange rate

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TOP REMAINING FREE AGENTS (see text)