The Alfonso Soriano talks heated up yesterday, and at one point Soriano got a call from his agent telling him to pack his bags because he was headed to the Mets. Moments later, a person who spoke with Soriano said the Rangers' second baseman got another call telling him to hold off because the deal had hit a snag. A Mets official called a Soriano deal "a long shot," and Rangers owner Tom Hicks told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram he didn't intend to deal Soriano. But in spite of those public denials, which could be smoke screens designed to improve the teams' negotiating positions, it seemed clearer than ever that the Mets were working hard to get Soriano and the Rangers had decided to move him. Two baseball officials close to the talks said discussions yesterday focused on Mets right-hander Aaron Heilman and Double-A Binghampton right-hander Yusmeiro Petit, but that the Mets might prefer to deal right-hander Victor Zambrano rather than Heilman. Mets GM Omar Minaya and the rest of the front office is gathering in New York today for meetings that will last through the weekend, setting up a "war room" of sorts in advance of Sunday's 4 p.m. non-waiver trade deadline.