Mets Turn Two and Get Baerga

Carlos Baerga, struggling this season after four years as one of baseball’s best second basemen, was traded Monday from the Cleveland Indians to the New York Mets for infielders Jose Vizcaino and Jeff Kent.

Baerga, 27, is a three-time all-star and was a major reason Cleveland reached the World Series last season. But he fell out of favor with the team by reporting to spring training overweight, was batting only .267 and was not providing the defense the Indians wanted up the middle.

“Leaving the Cleveland Indians is going to be like taking my heart away,” Baerga said. “It’s going to be something that I’m never going to forget about.

“They told me I might not be the same kind of player. I’m going to show them that’s not true. Everybody goes through a slump, everybody goes through that in life. I’m going to show these people when I come back here for the All-Star Game in ’97 that I really love this game and I really love to play here.”

“Obviously, this is a very difficult decision for us,” Cleveland General Manager John Hart said.

Vizcaino, moved from shortstop to second base this season so the Mets could play Rey Ordonez every day, has responded with his best season. He’s hitting .303 with six triples, one home run and 32 runs batted in.

Baerga and Vizcaino are both under contract through next season. Kent will be eligible for arbitration after this season, and Espinoza’s contract runs out at the conclusion of the 1996 season.

Kent is hitting .290 with nine home runs and 39 RBIs in a season slowed by injuries.

Baseball Notes

The Milwaukee Brewers recalled pitcher Doug Jones from triple-A New Orleans of the American Assn. and sent pitcher Jose Mercedes to New Orleans. Jones ranks 12th on the all-time saves list with 241. He began the season with the Chicago Cubs, but was waived June 15.