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Mets Unload Coleman in Trade With Royals : Baseball: New York gets McReynolds for the controversial outfielder.

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

The New York Mets made good Wednesday on their commitment to unload Vince Coleman. The surprising part was that they weren’t forced to release him and swallow the final year of his contract. They actually got a player in return, the Kansas City Royals agreeing to ship Kevin McReynolds back to New York.

“We got value where there was no value,” Met General Manager Joe McIlvaine said. “The owner had made it clear Coleman wasn’t going to play for us again. Most teams were waiting in the weeds to see if we would be forced to release him so they could sign him for the minimum.

“I didn’t think we would be able to trade him, but I think it’s a trade that will benefit both players. McReynolds had his best years with the Mets. I feel fortunate to have been able to add a quality player.”

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The Mets will pick up $500,000 of Coleman’s $3-million salary next season and pay McReynolds $2.5 million.

Coleman’s troubled tenure with the Mets basically ended on July 24. He was in the process of leaving the players’ parking lot at Dodger Stadium in a car driven by Eric Davis when Coleman threw an M-100 explosive device that injured three people, including a 2-year-old girl.

The 32-year-old outfielder eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of possession of an explosive device. He was given a one-year suspended jail term and three years probation. He was fined $1,000 and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service. He faces two civil suits and has said he would make restitution to the injured parties.

“We don’t condone what Coleman did, but we don’t really feel he’s a bad person,” Kansas City General Manager Herk Robinson said.

“We did a lot of homework, talking to ex-players, managers and general managers. George Brett (a Royal vice president) and I talked to Vince for three hours today before the trade was finalized. He recognizes that what he did was stupid and is genuinely sorry about it and highly motivated to resume his career.

“He’s been working with (fitness expert) Mack Newton for six months or more and is in outstanding shape. We felt we had to improve our offense and acquire an established leadoff hitter with Coleman’s type (of) speed. We had a lot of innings in which we had three hits and didn’t score a run.”

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After two injury-marred seasons with the Mets, Coleman was hitting .279 with 38 stolen bases in 51 attempts when the incident in Los Angeles ended his season. During his time with the Mets, he also had physical confrontations with coach Mike Cubbage and then-manager Jeff Torborg and cost Dwight Gooden a start when he hit the pitcher in the shoulder while swinging a golf club in the clubhouse.

“It turned out to be an ill-fated investment,” McIlvaine said of the Mets’ $11.95-million signing of Coleman, “but he still has the potential to be a quality player.”

Coleman apologized again Wednesday for the incident in Los Angeles, saying he was happy to have resolved his career uncertainty and predicting he is capable of stealing 100 or more bases.

McReynolds, 34, was traded from the Mets to the Royals in December of 1991 as part of a five-player deal that sent Bret Saberhagen to New York. McReynolds hit .245 with 11 homers last season and was benched at one point for what Manager Hal McRae said was a lack of hustle.

In the rebuilding of the Mets from their 103 losses of 1993, McReynolds or Joe Orsulak is expected to share the outfield with two young players--Jeromy Burnitz and Ryan Thompson.

“If you were posting a sign on the Mets,” McIlvaine said, “it would still read, ‘under construction.’ ”

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