HOUSTON -- The Astros and Lance Berkman pushed one issue out of the way on Thursday when they reached an agreement a one-year, $10.5 million contract. But that's only one item crossed off the to-do list.

Next up: long-term contract.

The one-year deal allows the two sides to avoid an arbitration hearing, which was scheduled for next week. But the Astros are interested in signing Berkman to a multi-year deal, and they will work to get this done before the conclusion of Spring Training, a somewhat loose deadline the two parties agreed upon when they came to terms on the one-year contract.

"We agreed if we got to the end of Spring Training and we didn't have something done that we would probably table it," general manager Tim Purpura said. "That's even open for discussion. If we get down to the last day of Spring Training and we're close on something, it could linger. We don't know."

From what Berkman and Purpura said Thursday night before the annual baseball writers' dinner, there's work to do. At this point, the two sides are not close.

Lance Berkman  /   LF
		Born: 02/10/76 Height: 6'1" Weight: 220 lbs Bats: S / Throws: L More info: Player page Stats | Splits Gallery Team Site | Shop

"We're a ways apart, to be honest," Purpura said. "But it's not insurmountable.

"As we have throughout the winter, we've made some very significant proposals to Lance. I think it's been well-respected by he and his agent and I think they understand our sincerity."

Said Berkman: "I wouldn't say we're close, either. We've agreed to talk up to when the season starts and if we can't get something done by then, we'll just play it out and see what happens."

The $10.5 million Berkman will earn in 2005 was a midway point between the $11 million Berkman proposed and the $10 million offered by the Astros when arbitration figures were exchanged on Jan. 18. Berkman, who earned $10.5 million over three years before that contract ran out after 2004, is eligible for free agency after the '05 season. He said testing the market this November is tempting.

"From a financial standpoint, it's a no-brainer," said Berkman, who is expected to miss a month after having had surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament in November. "It's a huge benefit to go ahead and explore options and free agency. I think the club recognizes that. That's one of the issues we're talking through right now.

"They'll have to make an offer that's tempting for me to buy out my free agent years, because it is a time in a player's career, really the only time, where he has any say-so and you have some leverage."

It is unclear how much money it will take to lock up Berkman, but it's safe to say he isn't oblivious to the fact that the Astros recently offered Carlos Beltran $105 million over seven years. That's $15 million per year for a player whose offensive numbers are not nearly as gaudy as Berkman's, and who has been an All-Star only once, compared to Berkman's three selections to the Midsummer Classic.

Berkman, who was honored Thursday as the club's MVP, hit .316 with 30 home runs and 106s RBI in 2004. He led the team in hitting, games, total bases, home runs, walks, intentional walks, slugging and on-base percentage.

Berkman has hit .303 with 156 home runs and 535 RBIs in 775 career games for the Astros from 1999-2004. He is the first outfielder to record as many as three 30-homer seasons with the Astros, and is tied with Moises Alou for the most 100-RBI seasons with three.

A native of New Braunfels, Texas, Berkman has always been vocal about his allegiance to his home state. He often jokes that he doesn't even want to take vacations outside of Texas. He played college baseball at nearby Rice University, and he and his family live year-round in Houston.

But it's clear there will be no hometown discounts granted as free agency looms.

"I understand completely the allure of playing in Houston," he said. "Being able to play my college ball here and on this team is pretty special. It's definitely worth something. The question is, how much off the market is that worth? That's something we have to answer."

Asked if he is struck by the idea of becoming a Texas icon, along the lines of Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, Berkman smiled.

"There are two teams in Texas," he said.