"AS a player who never had a contract he didn't ultimately conspire to break, Gary Sheffield understands he made the rumpled bed from which he bounded yesterday morning, with what he claims is a renewed purpose in remaining a Met.

"From the past, I understand people thinking what they thought and they have a right to," said a player with 509 home runs and almost as many bridges burned and who asked for Thursday night off after learning the Mets wouldn't trade him to the Giants.

"First thing that crossed my mind when [general manager Omar Minaya] said he pulled me back [off waivers] was, 'That's good for me because I could just stay a Met this year and next year.' So I asked, 'If you are keeping me from going to a contending team, what's my future here?'

"I got a maybe-maybe not. That's not much of a future. It kind of baffled me for a little bit." "