THE SPURNING CARLOS DELGADO IS NOW METS ACQUISITION

Yes I am talking about the same Carlos Delgado who snubbed the Mets last winter. Now he's the newest employee in Flushing anyway. The Mets obtained the slugger from the dismantling Marlins for rookie Mike Jacobs and pitching prospect Yusmeiro Petit. Carlos Delgado is a first baseman of a different stripe. He's not as good or as young as Pujols, of course. But he is a guy who will class up the joint, turn it into a dignified home for ideas and discourse - plus smack 30 homers along the way. He batted .301 with 33 homers and 115 RBI last year. Delgado was trained from an early age for this kind of baseball challenge. His father turned him into a lefty hitter, made the young boy hit baseballs that were painted half black to increase the kid's concentration

With Delgado owed $13.5 million next season and free-agent closer Billy Wagner commanding roughly $11 million a season if he signs, the Mets could soon be $5 million over the money freed by shedding Mike Piazza's contract and swapping Mike Cameron for Xavier Nady, who will play right field. This being the reason, the Mets have ruled out pursuing Alfonso Soriano,

Delgado spurned the Mets last January to sign a four-year, $52-million contract with the Marlins. As a part of the deal the Marlins will provide $7 million of the $48 million that Delgado is still owed through 2008.