NEW YORK AP Another wild day in U.S. baseball's offseason marketplace left half a dozen big names on new teams. After Rafael Palmeiro went back to Texas Otis Nixon returned to Atlanta and Albert Belle formalized his deal with Baltimore the New York Mets Los Angeles Dodgers and Orioles pulled off a surprising three-way trade. When the wheel stopped spinning Tuesday night New York had acquired outfielder Roger Cedeno from the Dodgers and reliever Armando Benitez from the Orioles Baltimore got catcher Charles Johnson and Los Angeles wound up with catcher Todd Hundley and minor league pitcher Arnold Gooch. In addition it appeared the Mets also had reached agreement with third baseman Robin Ventura with the team refusing to confirm or deny whether a deal had been completed. The big money deals Palmeiro dlrs 45 million for five years and Belle dlrs 65 million for five years were overshadowed by the big three-way trade a rarity in baseball's free-agent era. First the Mets sent Hundley and Gooch to the Dodgers for Johnson and Cedeno and then they sent Johnson to Baltimore for Benitez. ``It is a bittersweet day in Mets history with Todd Hundley leaving the organization'' Mets general manager Steve Phillips said. ``We feel we've added in Armando Benitez one of the best power pitchers in the game and somebody who will give us a completely different look in the bullpen.'' Hundley who is to be paid dlrs 5.2 million next season and dlrs 6 million in 2000 became expendable after New York kept Mike Piazza with a dlrs 91 million seven-year deal in October. Hundley struggled last season after returning from the disabled list in July following reconstructive surgery on his right elbow at the end of the 1997 season. He hit just .161 with three homers 12 RBIs and 55 strikeouts in 124 at-bats limiting his trade value. Before the injury Hundley was one of the most feared hitters in the league. Hundley a 29-year-old switch-hitter set a big-league record for homers by a catcher in 1996 hitting 41 to surpass Roy Campanella's 43-year-old standard. Hundley also hit .259 and drove in 112 runs that year. Benitez gives the Mets added depth in their bullpen. He went 5-6 with a 3.82 ERA and 22 saves last season for Baltimore. He will most likely be the right-handed setup man for closer John Franco. Johnson 27 came to the Dodgers along with Gary Sheffield Bobby Bonilla Jim Eisenreich and a minor league pitcher for Piazza and third baseman Todd Zeile last May 15. Piazza was traded to the Mets a week later. Johnson played in 133 games with the Marlins and Dodgers last season and hit just .218 with 19 homers and 58 RBIs. The 24-year-old Cedeno a switch hitter long considered a top prospect played in 105 games for the Dodgers last season and hit .242 with two homers and 17 RBIs. Before the big trade Palmeiro returned to Texas the team he left after the 1993 season to sign a dlrs 30.35 million five-year contract with Baltimore. Palmeiro turned down a dlrs 50 million five-year offer to remain with the Orioles instead going to the Ballpark in Arlington on Tuesday without his agent and accepting a deal that includes yearly salaries of dlrs 9 million of which dlrs 1 million a season will be deferred. His decision ends the Texas career of Will Clark who replaced him five years ago and now seems headed to Baltimore or Boston. Atlanta which also re-signed infielder Ozzie Guillen to a two-year contract brought back Nixon who played for the Braves from 1991-93 and turns 40 in January. The Braves apparently will attempt to trade Ryan Klesko leaving Nixon in a crowded outfield that includes free-agent signee Brian Jordan and returnees Andruw Jones and Gerald Williams. APW19981201.0370.txt.body.html APW19981201.0978.txt.body.html