MLB

Mets hope to make it hard to break up team

Carlos Beltran wasn’t at the Mets’ workout at Citi Field yesterday, because he played in Tuesday’s All-Star Game.

His teammates are wondering how much longer he’ll be around at all, though, as GM Sandy Alderson decides how to approach the rest of this season.

“Regardless of what position we’re in record-wise, it’s safe to say probably a couple of guys will be wearing different uniforms,” Jason Bay said. “The front office is in the unenviable position of figuring out what the plan is. We’re not in the best of positions, but we’re not in the worst either. You can only hold for so long and we’ll try to make it tougher on [Alderson] the next two weeks.”

That starts tonight with the Mets opening the second half against the NL East-leading Phillies.

“This is the first kind of sample we’re able to give Sandy as far as his next course of action and for other guys in the clubhouse as far as being traded or not traded,” said tonight’s starter, R.A. Dickey. “Last year, after the All-Star break we went 2-9 and that was it. People who were on this team last year understand things can spiral very quickly in the wrong direction if you let them.”

But the Mets weren’t looking at Tuesday’s trade of Francisco Rodriguez as a sign the team was surrendering the season.

“Any time you take a piece out, it becomes a different whole so you’ve got to really monitor that,” Dickey said. “What that means for the whole dynamic, time will tell. . . .

I was unsurprised (by the trade). If you would have told me it was Carlos Beltran, that would have been a different story. I would have been shocked. . . . Because I’m not saying Frankie’s replaceable, but I can say Carlos would be harder to replace, that’s for sure. And we’re still fighting for a (playoff) spot.”

As for whether they expect a fire sale before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, most players believe they play a role in that decision.

“I think that part’s up to us,” Dickey said. “I think the next 10 days, if we give the front office an excuse to move people, then they’re going to move people. But if we don’t, then we can make this thing really neat. It can get really interesting.”

Alderson said there was “no magic number” regarding whether they Mets would be buyers or sellers.

“We’re still in the pennant race,” Alderson said. “I’m happy about that.”

And Terry Collins wanted his team to focus on that and not on potential moves that might be made before the end of the month.

“The message is going to be that sometimes you’ve gotta deal with situations that are beyond your control,” Collins said. “I still believe the next two weeks we’re now in a situation where we gotta start winning eight of nine. . . . If we’re gonna get back in the hunt, realistically we have to start winning now.”

And worrying about who is going to wind up where probably won’t help.

“My only goal is that they approach this thing and not worry about what’s written or talked about,” Collins said. “They can only go play. . . . There still may be trades. I’m just gonna tell them how to prepare themselves for the next 21/2 months.”

dan.martin@nypost.com