"Not to take anything away from what we did as a team [in Boston]," Mientkiewicz said yesterday, "but personally, I wanted to get back and get ready and prove to everybody that I can stay healthy and I can play 155 games and be productive."

Mientkiewicz, who was limited to part-time duty after being traded to Boston last year, was acquired by the Mets to be their everyday first baseman. He said he was "excited" for a new chance.

Mientkiewicz, a Gold Glover, was pleased to see former Bosox teammate Pedro Martinez ("I'd run through a brick wall for that man," he said) and also got the first of what will probably be many "World Series ball" jokes from Cliff Floyd, who upon seeing him, shouted, "Hey, lemme get that ball, man!"

"I'm sure it's just the beginning of a lot of razzing," Mientkiewicz said. "It's an icebreaker, I guess."

Mientkiewicz said he wasn't sorry for keeping the ball but was "sorry the situation happened the way it happened." Still it's clear the story is overblown. Said the first baseman, "People make it sound like I took the actual World Series trophy and sprinted down Yawkey Way with it."

On his initial day with the Astros, Franco revealed that Wilpon warned him about a pending pink slip during a team function in San Francisco.

"I knew in August I wasn't coming back," Franco told The Post. "I had said, 'OK, that's fine with me. I'll just go on with my life and with my career and worry about that when the time comes.'

"I appreciate him telling me that. During the season, it was kind of odd — that's for sure. But it didn't bother me."

Asked to respond to Franco's revelation, Wilpon replied in a statement: "John and I had a private conversation towards the end of last season. The conversation and the details will remain between John and myself."

The 44-year-old lefty saw the writing on the wall and at one point towards the end of last season, during a span when he was only used once in 21 games — reportedly asked for his release and had a powwow with former manager Art Howe.

Franco is looking forward. He even has a new lucky orange T-shirt (his old one disintegrated) to go along with his new locale.

"This is a business," he said. "I've been very fortunate to be in New York for (14) years.

"There are a lot of guys in baseball who go through an organization for four or five years and they move on and go elsewhere.

"I have no hard feelings at all. (I'll) just move on."

When Franco arrived late yesterday afternoon, he hugged Matt Galante, the Mets' former coach who recommended him to the Astros. Franco held lefties to a .173 average last season, and the Astros' lefty relief was miserable in 2004.

"I think he's got at least one more year left in him," manager Phil Garner said, later joking, "Hell, who knows, he might pitch until he's 50.

"He might already be 50."

Franco is lockered next to former Met Dan Wheeler and near Turk Wendell, and knows a lot of Astros players from his 20 seasons in the majors.

"It feels a little different, that's for sure," he said. "But I think it's gonna be a lot of fun.

"I think change is good after all these years."

Strawberry, the Mets' all-time home run hitter and their first pick in the 1980 draft, will join the Mets as a special instructor this spring. He'll come to St. Lucie for several days and work with the organization's outfielders.

"I can't tell you how excited I am about coming back," Strawberry said in a statement. "This is where it all started for me. Any success that I have had in the game can be attributed to my beginnings with the Mets.

"I have followed what the team has done this winter and the people certainly have plenty of reasons to be excited with Carlos Beltran and Pedro Martinez coming to New York. Hopefully, this team can do the same kind of things we did back in 1986."

Strawberry, who turns 43 next month, will also help out on the fan relations end, joining Gary Carter, Howard Johnson and Tim Teufel at Shea on Feb. 27 when single-game Mets tickets go on sale.

Last year Strawberry was set to come to spring training with the Yankees as a minor-league hitting instructor but turned down the job to help with fundraising for the Without Walls International Church in Tampa.

"Darryl is a key part of our past and I am glad he is going to spend a little time with us," Mets GM Omar Minaya said.

The first time Strawberry donned a Mets uniform? That was back in August of 1980. Remembering the moment, Strawberry said, "I had just signed my contract and Joe Torre was the Mets' manager. I remember him shaking my hand and welcoming me to the club."

Now the Mets are set to welcome him back. Said Johnson, "Even the years he was away, I always thought of him as a Met. He got his start here and this is where he belongs."

Added Carter, "He is back with his family."

While Texas reports mentioned the possibility of a potential Cliff Floyd deal with the Rangers, there is currently nothing doing on that front. The Mets' other corner outfielder, Mike Cameron, remains a possibility to be dealt at some point, although there is nothing hot right now.

The Mets don't want to move Cameron due to his production, reasonable contract (two years, $12.5M left) and defensive prowess, but there remain concerns about his willingness to play right field. For now, though, the Mets are a good bet to go into camp with what they have.

The Mets signed 30-year-old LHP Jose Rosado to a minor-league contract with an invitation to major-league spring training. Rosado was a two-time All-Star with the Royals but has not pitched since April 30, 2000 due to two left shoulder surgeries.

Stand 60 feet, 6 inches away, and you see and hear what Pedro brings.

That's what happened yesterday at early-bird camp. Pedro took the mound for the first time as a Met and unleashed 27 bullets. As he fired one heavy strike after another, I stood with a group of young Mets watching the incredible arm action.

You know a pitcher is something special when other players drop what they are doing just to watch. As lightning bolt after lightning bolt cracked into the mitt of catcher Joe Hietpas, players marveled. One young Met turned to another and said, "Wow, I haven't seen anything like that since Kaz."

That would be Scott Kazmir, who was dealt away last season to the Devil Rays.

"He definitely makes it look easy," Hietpas said.

When Martinez' electric session was over, there were smiles all around, and bullpen coach Guy Conti, who was closely monitoring the workout, wore a grin as wide as home plate. Conti gave Pedro a high five.

"That's what I wanted to see," Conti said.

That's what all the Mets wanted to see. Imagine the excitement when manager Willie Randolph and pitching coach Rick Peterson get here. Here's the best part if you are a Met fan: "He was throwing about 65 percent," Conti explained.

"I feel good," Pedro said as he walked off the mound and headed to the outfield to do his running. "Real good."

As Pedro walked away, Conti pointed to the young 6-foot-3, 220-pound catcher and said with a smile, "Hey Pedro, Hietpas said he can make any pitcher look good."

Pedro laughed and added, "And he's big, too."

Of course, it is not just Pedro's fastball that makes him a Hall of Famer. The three-time Cy Young winner owns the best winning percentage in major-league history with more than 200 decisions at .705 (182-76). His 99 double-digit career strikeout games are behind only Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens. His 1.17 career ERA at Shea is the lowest among active pitchers with a minimum of 40 innings.

Pedro has made his living off his changeup. The interesting thing about his changeup is that it comes directly from Johnny Podres, who used that same type of change while with the Brooklyn Dodgers to win two games in the 1955 World Series against the Yankees, including Game 7. From Podres to Pedro.

"That kid is throwing the changeup that Pod showed me," explained Conti, who tutored the young Pedro when both were in the Dodger organization. "Pod showed me that changeup that I showed to Pedro and Pedro perfected it."

Said Martinez: "I was taught a changeup that was a full-wrap hand at the Dodgers Academy, and then Guy Conti made sure I switched it to a circle change."

Pedro's fingers are so long that he can maneuver them around the ball to make that circle change more effective, and his fingers can stay on the ball longer, giving it more movement. Martinez also has a mindset that goes with the changeup. He out-thinks the hitter.

"He's so talented and so smart," Conti says.

Martinez is not about to give away trade secrets, but when I asked him where he would be without the changeup, he didn't hesitate. "Probably in the bullpen," he said.

He wouldn't have three Cy Youngs. He'd have his fastball and that would be great, but it wouldn't be enough. Come soon enough, Met fans and opponents will see all his tools at 100 percent.

This sunny Florida day was a fascinating glimpse of what lies ahead.

As of yesterday, club officials were still mulling the merits of flying to California to see Ordonez, whose 2004 season with the White Sox was curtailed with a left knee injury.

The 31-year-old free-agent outfielder moved his workouts from Florida to California in the last couple of days in anticipation of showcasing his health for interested teams. His agent, Scott Boras, is based in California.

A report from Detroit stated that the Tigers and Ordonez are at a crossroads because Detroit has offered a five-year deal and Boras wants seven. Another report from Texas stated that GM John Hart believed even the five-year offer was "not appropriate" for the Rangers to match.

And with the Cubs landing Jeromy Burnitz yesterday instead of going after Ordonez, this would be a prime opportunity for the Mets to pounce.

One source claimed the Mets would "probably" come out to watch the four-time All-Star, but another source with inner knowledge of the team's plans said no decision has been made. If it happens, count on the Mets to make it publicly known.

Here's the rundown so far: Medical information has been exchanged from Boras' medical people to the Mets. Doctors on each side have discussed Ordonez's left knee, which required surgery in Vienna a few months ago to treat, among other things, a serious condition known as bone-marrow edema.

While skeptics believe Ordonez never will be the player he was with the White Sox, Boras and the player insist he'll be healthy this season.

The Mets are obviously unwilling to say whether they are in or out on a potentially great player. They would have to move Mike Cameron to make room for Ordonez, and as of yesterday they were prepared to keep their disgruntled former center fielder. Cliff Floyd is unmovable in left field.

A report out of Arizona was that the Diamondbacks were close to acquiring a center fielder, but a local source said that will most likely not be Cameron