SAN DIEGO — The Pirates have had preliminary discussions recently with Neil Walker’s camp about signing the second baseman to a multiyear contract extension, according to a source.

A deal is not considered close at this time.

Walker, 29, a Gibsonia native, is in his third year of arbitration and has one more year of arbitration eligibility remaining because he previously reached Super 2 status. He had the best offensive season of his career in 2014, hitting 23 home runs with a .342 on-base percentage. He won a National League Silver Slugger award, given to the league’s best offensive player at each position.

“We would like nothing more than to have Neil Walker end his career as a Pirate,” general manager Neal Huntington said when asked about the possibility of an extension. “There’s no question about that. We understand he’s a really good player, and we understand the local implications and local ties he has.”

Walker made $5.75 million in 2014, his second season of arbitration. That total could climb to $8 million this year and reach double digits in 2016. An extension could provide cost certainty and possibly buy out some years of free agency.

“There are two parties to [contract negotiations],” Huntington said. “Sometimes those two parties find a common ground and a deal is struck. Sometimes they don’t.

“If we get to that point, and hopefully we will, we’ll have an extension announcement for Neil. If not, we’ll continue to do what we do behind the scenes and leave it at that.”

A reasonable comparison for an extension would be Howie Kendrick, who signed a four-year, $33.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels before the 2012 season. Kendrick was 28, one year younger than Walker is, when he signed the deal and had one more year of service time. In the year before Kendrick got the extension, he hit .285 with a .338 on-base percentage and 18 home runs in 140 games, making the All-Star team in the process.

A rival executive said a Walker extension could exceed Kendrick’s deal.

After playing in 159 games in 2011, Walker has not played in more than 137 in each of the next three seasons. A herniated disc cost him playing time in 2012. An oblique strain sent him to the disabled list in 2013. An emergency appendectomy put him on the disabled list this past season, but back spasms also kept him out of the lineup in the second half of the year.

Alvarez update

Scott Boras, agent for Pedro Alvarez, said his client has healed from a foot injury that knocked him out for the final month of the 2014 season and is eager to take over as the everyday first baseman.

Manager Clint Hurdle, who moved Alvarez from third base to first in August, said this former first-round pick is “penciled in” to start at first, and “Pedro’s bat will tell us how much Pedro is going to play.”

Alvarez bullied the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2013 NLDS, hitting .353 with three home runs in five games, but his bat fell silent in 2014. In 122 games, he batted .231 with 18 homers, half of his power production the previous year.

“I tell this to many players,” Hurdle said. “As long as you’re in and you still believe, I’m right there with you. If you’re out, I’m out. I don’t believe Pedro is out by any means.”

Rule 5 draft

As of Wednesday night, the Pirates had one spot empty on the 40-man roster and are eligible to participate today in the Rule 5 draft. That spot could be filled, though, should the team finalize the contracts of either left-hander Francisco Liriano or right-hander Radhames Liz.

Huntington said he would be “probably be more surprised if we didn’t” lose an unprotected player in the draft. Left-hander Andy Oliver, outfielder Mel Rojas Jr. and first baseman Stetson Allie are eligible.

Hurdle discusses battery

Catcher Francisco Cervelli will be given the opportunity “to take the everyday job and run with it,” Hurdle said, but Chris Stewart will see more backup time than what was needed this past season behind Russell Martin.

Two areas of emphasis as spring training nears, Hurdle said, is for the Pirates to get more production from pitchers at the plate — the staff batted .100 with a .135 on-base percentage in 2014 — and to become more “dynamic” on the base paths.

Stephen J. Nesbitt: snesbitt@post-gazette.com and Twitter @stephenjnesbitt. Bill Brink: bbrink@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrinkPG.

First Published: December 11, 2014, 5:38 a.m.