CINCINNATI -- First baseman Sean Casey was sitting at home watching television Sunday night when a stunning announcement scrolled across the bottom of the screen.

The small, moving type said that the Cincinnati Reds had agreed to a three-year contract extension with shortstop Barry Larkin.

"I thought it was a typo," Casey said Monday.

It wasn't. One of the weirdest days in the Reds' recent history began with Larkin blocking a trade to the New York Mets and ended with him getting a stunning extension -- three years at $27 million.

After a topsy-turvy five days of the Reds butting heads with their team captain, they gave in and gave the 36-year-old Larkin what he had asked for -- a chance to stay in his hometown.

"I was a little shocked, just because of the way everything was drawn out," outfielder Dmitri Young said before Monday night's game against Houston. "Evidently the powers that be saw the reaction from the players, the front office and most importantly the fans.

"When he came to bat and got all those standing ovations and all, I believe that took a toll right there. Barry got what he wanted, the team got what it wanted and everybody's happy."

Happy and harried, too. When Larkin walked into the clubhouse Monday, he still had the look of someone who had been through an ordeal.

"I'm drained," he said, sitting in his dressing cubicle. "It's been emotional, man. This has been a tough three, four, five days for me. I'm a little more at ease, but it's been draining. It's been taxing. And yesterday came as a total shock."

Only five days earlier, the Reds had told Larkin they couldn't give him a three-year contract for $27.9 million. General manager Jim Bowden arranged a trade with the New York Mets that Larkin blocked. Hours later, owner Carl Lindner did an about-face and offered the three-year, $27 million deal.

Larkin agreed that the fans' reaction over the weekend had something to do with it. He got extended standing ovations before each at-bat and pro-Larkin banners flapped around the stadium.

"Once again I'll say I appreciate the support I've received over the last couple of days," Larkin said.

His teammates were relieved that the ordeal was over. Despite losing starter Denny Neagle in a trade to the Yankees and having their team captain shopped in a trade, the Reds chopped their 10-game deficit in half in the NL Central the last two weeks.

"Having that whole thing behind us is huge," Casey said. "We were looking over our shoulders because we weren't sure what was going on with Larkin."

There's one loose end: How the Reds will pay for it. Larkin deferred nearly a third of the $27 million over 15 years, but the Reds still have budget problems.

Chief operating officer John Allen said Monday the club is still studying raising ticket prices this season. The Reds have Larkin and Ken Griffey Jr. under contract, have to invest $30 million in their new ballpark and will lose 14,000 seats in the current one when the season ends. The outfield stands at Cinergy Field will be razed to make room for the new ballpark, scheduled to open in 2003.

"We're not just looking at it because of Barry," Allen said. "It's something we've been talking about."

Allen said the club's payroll won't change substantially next season, which will make for a tight squeeze because some of their young players will be eligible for arbitration -- Danny Graves, Casey, Pokey Reese among them.

The Reds opened this season with a $44 million payroll, ranking 21st in the majors. Allen said next year's payroll will be about the same.

"I don't see it tremendously more than that, and I don't see it dramatically below that, either," Allen said.