Rockies Beat Deadline, Get Saberhagen : Baseball: In other trades involving pitchers, Benes goes to Seattle, Wells to Cincinnati, Stanton to Boston.

Clearly serious about winning the National League West in only their third year, the Colorado Rockies obtained former Cy Young Award winner Bret Saberhagen from the New York Mets Monday night.

Highlighting another series of major trades before the midnight deadline for non-waiver acquisitions, the Rockies took advantage of New York’s payroll purge--the Mets traded Bobby Bonilla to the Baltimore Orioles for two outfield prospects Friday--to acquire the 31-year-old Saberhagen for two pitching prospects: Juan Acevedo and Arnold Gooch.

The Rockies, who hold a three-game lead in the West and open a three-game series with the second-place Dodgers in Denver tonight, dealt for Saberhagen under the shadow of an injury to pitching ace Bill Swift, who might go on the disabled list today.

Whether motivated by the Saberhagen acquisition or the inconsistency of their fifth starter and middle relief, the Dodgers responded by sending minor-league third baseman Ron Coomer and pitching prospects Jose Parra and Greg Hansell to the Minnesota Twins for starter Kevin Tapani and reliever Mark Guthrie.

In other trades before the deadline:

--The San Diego Padres, apparently giving up on a division title or wild-card berth in the National League playoffs, traded Andy Benes to the Seattle Mariners for two prospects: pitcher Ron Villone, the Mariners’ top pick in the 1992 draft, and outfielder Marc Newfield, their first pick in the ’90 draft.

Benes, 27, was 4-7 with a 4.17 earned-run average and 69-75 in seven years as a San Diego starter. He may have worn out his welcome with the Padres via a series of salary disputes and recent complaints about his uncertain future with the club. Benes, who expects to be eligible for free agency after the season, providing he is awarded service time for the period in which the players were on strike, has been suggesting publicly that the Padres should trade him and get something while they can.

In the aftermath of the trade, however, Benes said only that he was looking forward to a fresh start and felt bad that he had not pitched better for the Padres. He is expected to make his first start for the Mariners, who are battling for a possible wild-card berth in the American League, against the Angels Thursday night in Anaheim.

--The Cincinnati Reds, faced with the loss of Jose Rijo for the season and attempting to hold off the Houston Astros in the National League Central, acquired left-hander David Wells from the Detroit Tigers after being frustrated in their pursuit of Saberhagen, David Cone, Jim Abbott and Jeff Fassero.

Wells, 32, is enjoying one of his best seasons--10-3 with a 3.04 ERA--and was recently cited by Manager Sparky Anderson as the best left-hander he has ever managed. The Reds gave up pitcher C.J. Nitkowski, who was their No. 1 draft pick last year, and pitcher Dave Tuttle.

“When you get to this point in July and you have a chance to improve your team, you have to go out and do it, even if it means giving up a top prospect,” Red General Manager Jim Bowden said, referring to Nitkowski.

--The Boston Red Sox, who had pursued both Cone and Saberhagen as they strive to maintain their American League East lead over the Orioles and New York Yankees, settled for Atlanta Brave relief pitcher Mike Stanton, who is 1-1 with one save in 26 appearances. The Braves will receive a player to be named by Dec. 15.

“He adds depth to the pitching staff and gives us the option to use Rheal Cormier or Mike Maddux as starters,” Boston General Manager Dan Duquette said of Stanton.

In trading Saberhagen, Met General Manager Joe McIlvaine said finding a team to take over the pitcher’s elaborate contract, with deferred payments into the next century, was as much a factor as the quality of the players offered in return.

Blessed with record attendance during two years at Mile High Stadium and another season of sellouts at Coors Field, the Rockies could afford Saberhagen even after signing free agents Swift and Larry Walker in the spring.

Saberhagen, 5-5 with a 3.35 ERA, is guaranteed $4.3 million next year and is to receive $250,000 annually for 25 years beginning in 2004.

It is believed the Mets will pick up a large percentage of the deferred package.

Twice a 20-game winner with the Kansas City Royals, Saberhagen’s three years with the Mets were marked by injuries and controversy, but he was back in form before the strike of last year, going 14-4 with a 2.74 ERA.

Saberhagen said he expected to be traded, but “I really didn’t expect Colorado because everybody kept saying Boston. You look at last place [with the Mets] to first place [with the Rockies], throwing in front of 50,000 people every night and first-class facilities out there, man, you’ve got to be excited; but it will be a challenge. In the higher altitude, you have to keep the ball down. We call it ArenaBall.”

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ARMS CONTROL

A look at how Bret Saberhagen has fared against Dodgers the last two seasons and overall:

Year W-L IP ER ERA 1994 3-0 22 1/3 8 3.22 1995 0-1 7 1 1.29 Career 6-1 68 23 3.04

A look at how Saberhagen has fared at Colorado:

W-L IP ER ERA Career 1-1 15 9 5.40