MLB

MARKET LOOKS SET TO DELIVER RELIEF TO ‘PEN

DANA POINT, Calif. – Now is one time the Mets are happy the Yankees have Mariano Rivera.

And that the Red Sox have Jonathan Papelbon and the White Sox Bobby Jenks and pretty much every other big-market team has an in-house closing option.

That, Met officials believe, gives them an important edge as they try to solve ninth-inning needs: The Mets are willing to spend significantly against a field that might not be able to match their financial might.

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The Mets would be happy to leave the offseason with any of the top three free-agent closers: Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes or Kerry Wood (with that probably being their order of preference).

The teams that clearly are in the closer market are St. Louis, Milwaukee, Arizona, Cleveland and Detroit.

A team that hardly is a financial monster, the Reds, stepped out to give Francisco Cordero a four-year, $45.5 million deal last offseason. So it is possible that one of the closer-hungry clubs could make a surprisingly huge deal for a K-Rod or Fuentes. The Cardinals and Brewers would be the most likely to do that.

But Met officials departed the GM meetings confident that someone they like from the free-agent field will fall to them in this game of big-money musical chairs.

If all fails via free agency, the Mets talked to the Mariners about J.J. Putz, and believe Seattle eventually will make him available this offseason. However, Putz makes just $5 million in 2009 with a 2010 club option for $8.6 million or a $1 million buyout.

So that puts Putz into the affordable available closer category with Oakland’s Huston Street, Florida’s Kevin Gregg and perhaps even Jenks in the right package.

In that category, the Mets are on a more even playing field with organizations that can absorb those salaries. Then it is just a question of whether Cleveland, Arizona, Detroit or Colorado have the prospects to get a trade done.

Thus, for now, the Mets’ advantage appears in free agency. Rodriguez’s agent, Paul Kinzer, has begun to soften somewhat on the idea that his client must get a record closer total in the five-year, $75 million range. The Mets are pretty adamant they will not do a five-year deal to replace Billy Wagner.

It will probably take a four-year deal in the $48 million range to net Fuentes. Wood is more of a wild card. He wants to return to the Cubs. But Chicago is focusing on starting pitching (Jake Peavy, retaining Ryan Dempster), and to save money could stay in-house with set-up men Carlos Marmol or Jeff Samardzija stepping into the role.

The Angels also are likely to go internally to replace K-Rod with Scot Shields and Jose Arredondo the candidates. So the Cubs and Angels – two other big-market teams – also are unlikely to compete with the Mets in the closing market.

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For now, agent Scott Boras is indicating he wants Jorge Posada money (four years, $52 million) for catcher Jason Varitek. If that falls to the two-year range, Varitek probably will re-sign with the Red Sox.

But if not, the Mets could be interested. There are some Met officials who believe they need a better game-caller than Brian Schneider to shepherd their pitching staff. The Mets did find some interest (Cincinnati, for example) if they need to move Schneider.

joel.sherman@nypost.com