Mets GM Omar Minaya is like any other frugal shopper in New York: he's always looking for a good deal. Minaya's players will use six weeks of spring training to prepare for the grind of a 162-game season, but the second-year GM says he'll already be in midseason form when he arrives in Port St. Lucie on Wednesday. "There's opportunity (to make a spring training trade) out there," Minaya said. "I've been able to pick up guys in spring training (in the past). One year (2003) it was Livan Hernandez, the next (2004) it was John Patterson." It's safe to say Carlos Beltran and Pedro Martinez don't have anything to worry about, but Minaya said that he'd "keep an eye" open for the right reliever or No. 5 starter. He stopped short of saying pitchers at the back end of the rotation will be under more scrutiny in Port St. Lucie, but referred to spring training as an "experimental" time to figure out roles for new arrivals. "We owe ... some of the guys we're bringing in a chance to step up," Minaya said. "From Aaron Heilman to John Maine to (Brian) Bannister, to (Yusaki) Iriki. "We'll keep an eye as to what's going on around the marketplace, but we're looking more towards an experimental spring training."