Lose-lose? Mets drop game; Beltran next?

MIAMI -- The regularly scheduled Mets season, already in progress, has now been pre-empted by the Carlos Beltran Watch. Until Beltran finally is traded, which could come any day now, what the Mets do on the field is considered the sideshow.

On Sunday, David Wright wrapped up his comeback weekend at Sun Life Stadium with a two-run homer that briefly gave the Mets a one-run lead in the seventh inning. Shortly afterward, Bobby Parnell served up the tying home run to Logan Morrison leading off the eighth, and two outs later, he surrendered an RBI double to John Buck that sunk the Mets in a 5-4 loss to the Marlins.

In the big picture, Wright's re-establishing himself as the Face of the Franchise and a meltdown by the future closer are significant developments for the Mets. But everything seems to be on hold right now as long as Beltran remains in a Mets uniform, and he left the clubhouse Sunday bound for Cincinnati with his teammates.

"Let's see, man," Beltran said. "It's not that I want to get out of here."

Beltran could stay. He has veto power over any trade. But after Sunday's game, he reiterated the same statements he made to Newsday last week. He is resigned to finishing this season elsewhere as long as the next team is a contender that plays in the National League. When presented the teams most linked to him -- the Giants, Phillies, Braves, Red Sox and Rangers -- Beltran said, "I'd love to be on one of those teams."

But the American League clubs have to be considered long shots, at best, and there is increasing chatter around the Mets that Beltran might be headed to the Giants, a team that fits every one of his criteria. Beltran wants no part of being a DH, and the mere possibility of being in that role, however remote, has him leaning strongly toward the NL.

"I'm not going to go to the American League to be a DH," Beltran said. "I'm an outfielder."

Despite moving to rightfield in spring training, Beltran wouldn't rule out a return to center if a team needed him to play there. And next winter, as he looks for another contract, Beltran definitely would increase his value by doing so.

"It depends what teams are looking for," he said. "I feel like I can do that job."

Beltran also stressed his desire to remain in the NL because it's what he knows, and that could be an important advantage as he strives to put up numbers for his next contract. After all, his agent is Scott Boras.

"I'm comfortable in the National League," Beltran said. "I've played here for seven years."

As relaxed as Beltran has been through this entire process, which is likely to reach a conclusion well before the non-waivers trade deadline Sunday, it's left the Mets feeling unsettled. Not only do his teammates keep asking Beltran about it, but Terry Collins has to deal with the constant questions.

"I try to ignore a lot of it," Collins said. "But if you pay attention and you're out there listening, they're all sick of it. They want to play. I don't think it's a distraction once the game starts. But the whole focus is on what's going to happen Saturday or Sunday, and not on the team. And that's a distraction. I'm worn out by it."

Beltran, who went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly Sunday, doesn't seem bothered. He said he's had "zero" contact with Sandy Alderson to this point about his no-trade demands and that Boras eventually will come to him for approval. Until then, Beltran is trying to stay low-key, hoping to minimize the distraction.

It's only going to get worse this week as everyone becomes more curious. There will be constant media attention -- and Beltran's teammates may be even more persistent.

"They want insight," Beltran said. "I don't have one -- but they want one."