"Jeff Wilpon's appearance at Great American Ball Park yesterday may have signaled Carlos Beltran's Mets career entering its final hours.

The Mets COO stood at the batting cage chatting with Beltran during pregame drills, as general manager Sandy Alderson stayed in New York, presumably still listening to offers for the All-Star right fielder. Beltran remains targeted by the Giants, Braves, Phillies, Rangers and Red Sox, among others, but said after the Mets' 8-6 victory over the Reds that he still had no idea about his future.

One report suggested he had recently nixed a trade to the Indians, but Beltran said that wasn't the case.

"They haven't come to me," Beltran said, referring to the Mets. "When they come to me, then we'll talk about it."

He clearly was at peace with the knowledge he would soon be wearing a different uniform.

"It's exciting, but at the same time a little bit sad because I have a lot of friends on this team," Beltran said. "I've been here seven years, so it's hard to just turn the page and try to just let go of seven years just like that.

"It's kind of like you have a lot of memories, a lot of guys we get along with well, and younger guys that you start getting along with them. At the same time you've got to move on. They're going to move on. I'm going to move on. Everybody is going to move on."

The Mets (52-51) won their second straight, getting a strong bullpen performance from Manny Acosta, Ryota Igarashi, Pedro Beato and Tim Byrdak, who combined to allow one run over four innings behind a wobbly Jon Niese. The lefty Byrdak got the final out for his first save of the season. Jason Pridie's two-run double in the sixth put the Mets ahead for good."