Zeile Spurns Rangers to Sign With Mets

Todd Zeile, who had been considered the Dodgers’ leading fallback possibility if third baseman Adrian Beltre is declared a free agent, agreed to a three-year, $18-million contract with the New York Mets late Saturday night after having reached a tentative agreement to return to the Texas Rangers for three years at $16 million.

The Dodgers had talked to agent Seth Levinson but were never under serious consideration, Zeile said.

“I knew they had some unfinished business with Adrian Beltre and I wasn’t in position to delay a decision any longer,” he said.

The Rangers thought Zeile, who hit 24 home runs and drove in 98 runs last season, had made his decision to return when club officials went out to dinner Saturday night, having met his financial terms and agreed to a no-trade clause he wanted.

However, Zeile said that at that point he was still “deadlocked” in his mind between the Rangers and Mets and he ultimately felt the Mets have “a more realistic chance of winning . . . and there’s no better place to win.”

Zeile, who will replace John Olerud at first base, said former Dodger teammate Mike Piazza lobbied for him to join the Mets during several phone calls and added that he knows how the Rangers feel because he too has been “scorned” in his career but “mutual loyalty is a non-issue in the game anymore.”

The loss of Zeile compounds the Rangers’ earlier decision to trade Juan Gonzalez, leaving a considerable hole offensively. Mike Lamb, a prospect from the Texas system, will be given the first chance to replace Zeile, though sources believe the Rangers would pursue Beltre if he becomes a free agent.

Meanwhile, the Mets have renewed their pursuit of Ken Griffey, Jr., but some in the industry question whether the Mariner center fielder would approve a trade to New York.

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Tim Shannon, agent for former Angel left-hander Chuck Finley, said he and the pitcher have a “magic [salary] number” at which Finley will agree to terms but that no one has reached it yet, although the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles have made three-year offers.

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Tony Womack, who will play shortstop for Arizona next season, agreed to a four-year, $17-million contract Sunday. . . . San Francisco traded pitcher Chris Brock to Philadelphia for catcher Bobby Estalella. . . . The Baltimore Orioles traded infielder Jeff Reboulet to Kansas City for a player to be named.