The Mets, hopeful of upgrading their starting rotation this winter, missed out on one of their top targets yesterday. According to a major league executive, the Chicago White Sox have an agreement in principle to acquire Javier Vazquez from the Arizona Diamondbacks. In return for Vazquez and money, the White Sox are sending former Yankee Orlando Hernandez, righthanded reliever Luis Vizcaino and outfield prospect Chris Young. The deal is contingent on the players passing physicals. With this move, the World Series champs have upgraded their rotation for next season. Vazquez, 29, had formally demanded a trade from Arizona -- as was his collectively bargained right, as a veteran traded in the middle of a long-term contract. The Yankees, after signing him to a four-year, $45-million extension in January 2004, dealt him and others to Arizona for Randy Johnson this past Jan. 11. The Yankees acquired Vazquez from the Montreal Expos in December 2003, because Omar Minaya, the Expos' general manager at the time, needed to clear Vazquez for payroll purposes. Now with the big-market Mets, Minaya had been working to get Vazquez back under his employ. In return for Vazquez, the Diamondbacks wanted a package featuring Mets reliever Aaron Heilman, whom the Mets refused to surrender. Vazquez went 11-15 with a 4.42 ERA for the Diamondbacks in 2005.