NEW YORK - Roberto Alomar (news) was traded by the Mets to the
Chicago White Sox (news) on Tuesday, ending a disappointing 1 1/2-
year stay in New York in which he failed to live up to his elite
billing.


AP Photo



New York received three prospects for a second baseman who may
eventually wind up in the Hall of Fame but was unable to turn the
high-priced Mets into a winner.


Alomar is eligible to become a free agent after the season. The Mets,
knowing they were all but assured of losing Alomar, were able to at
least get some players for him.


The White Sox sent New York minor league pitchers Royce Ring and
Edwin Almonte and infielder Andrew Salvo.


The deal was the first trade by Mets interim general manager Jim
Duquette, who took over after Steve Phillips was fired June 12.


In Chicago, Alomar also will be reunited with his brother. Catcher
Sandy Alomar signed as a free agent with the White Sox before the
season.


Alomar is in the final year of his contract which pays him $8 million
this season. The Mets will pay about $3.75 million of his remaining
salary, with the White Sox paying about $150,000. He had asked the
team for a contract extension during spring training but the team
preferred to wait.


Alomar came to the Mets from Cleveland in an eight-player deal in
December 2001. He was selected for 12 straight All-Star games and won
10 Gold Gloves. He batted .336 with 20 home runs and 100 RBIs in his
final season with the Indians.


With the Mets last season, he hit just .266 as the team finished last
in the NL East. He was hitting .262 with two home runs when the trade
was made, with the Mets again last in their division.


The trade returns Alomar to the American League (news) where he
batted .313 in 11 seasons with Toronto, Baltimore and Cleveland and
hit 168 of his 203 career home runs. He spent his first three major
league seasons with the San Diego Padres (news).


Almonte, 26, is 2-6 with 14 saves and a 6.88 ERA in 30 games at
Triple-A Charlotte. The right-hander is 21-29 with 83 saves and a
3.12 ERA in six minor league seasons.


Ring, 22, is 1-4 with 19 saves and a 2.52 ERA in 36 games at Double-A
Birmingham. The left-hander was the club's first-round pick in the
2002 draft.


Salvo, 23, has split the season between Class A Kannapolis and Class
A Winston-Salem, hitting .223 with one home run and six RBIs in 42
games. The second baseman is a career .273 hitter in three seasons.