The Mets, in a revitalized push to trade Kris Benson, are in serious discussions with the Orioles about shipping the righthander to Baltimore, most likely for reliever Jorge Julio, a person familiar with the situation said Friday. The two teams have explored a Benson-for-Julio swap since early December, and after those initial conversations cooled, Mets general manager Omar Minaya aggressively shopped Benson during the winter meetings in Dallas without success. But the two clubs rekindled their discussions this week, and as of late Friday, Mets officials were feeling optimistic that the trade will happen this time, with the Orioles including a prospect along with the hard-throwing Julio. After potential deals with the Royals and Rangers fell through during the winter meetings, Minaya, looking to calm a simmering PR problem, sat down with the pitcher and his outspoken wife, Anna, to chat about their future in Flushing. The Bensons expressed their desire to remain with the Mets, but that meant little to Minaya, who made them no promises. "We're very happy with Kris Benson right now," Minaya said Dec. 14. "But as I always say, if someone calls me to talk about him, I owe it to the ballclub to listen to them." The trade would enable the Mets to give Aaron Heilman an opportunity to win the No. 5 slot in the starting rotation. Heilman was 4-1 with a 2.27 ERA as a starter for Licey, Dominican Republic, in winter ball. He had asked the Mets to trade him if he isn't going to be a starter, and as long as Benson remains on the roster, only an injury would provide room in the rotation for Heilman.