The Mets might be able to land Danys Baez without giving up Aaron Heilman. That's exactly what they're trying to do. While the Mets remain very much involved in the Manny Ramirez trade discussions, their effort to acquire Baez is considerably closer to completion, two officials familiar with the talks said yesterday. The Mets have thus far refused to include Heilman in the package for Baez, one of those officials said, but the Tampa Bay Devil Rays think they can find a package even without Heilman. It's believed such a package would center around righthander Jae Seo, and the Devil Rays also have interest in second baseman Kaz Matsui, whom they could convert to shortstop and then trade their incumbent at the position, Julio Lugo. While the Mets have told clubs they'd provide $5 million of the $8 million Matsui is owed in 2006, Tampa Bay might take a flyer on the 30-year-old if the Mets throw in an additional $500,000, thereby making Matsui a $2.5-million shortstop, according to an official from a major-league club. Baez, 28, who will make $4 million this season, would upgrade the Mets' bullpen, giving them an all-star setup man to new closer Billy Wagner. Yet the Mets' refusal to include Heilman, who flourished out of the bullpen in 2005, exhibits their belief that he, too, can play a role.