Orioles Trade Bordick to Mets

NEW YORK (AP) â€” The New York Mets acquired Mike Bordick from the Baltimore Orioles on Friday, adding a bat for the stretch run and filling a hole at shortstop. <br><br>Baltimore is getting infielders

Friday, July 28th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) â€” The New York Mets acquired Mike Bordick from the Baltimore Orioles on Friday, adding a bat for the stretch run and filling a hole at shortstop.

Baltimore is getting infielders Melvin Mora and Mike Kinkade plus minor leaguer pitcher Lesli Brea. Kinkade and Brea are being assigned to the minors by the Orioles.

The deal was scheduled to be announced at 4 p.m. EDT and was confirmed by three sources familiar with the trade who spoke on the condition they not be identified.

The Mets have been searching for a shortstop since Rey Ordonez broke his left forearm May 29 at Los Angeles. Mora, whose best position is in the outfield, has been filling in at shortstop but has made seven errors there in 167 chances over 44 games.

Bordick, 35, figures to be with New York only for this year; he is eligible for free agency after this season. With Baltimore, he hit .297 with 22 doubles, 16 homers and 59 RBIs.

Bordick's average rose from .236 in 1997 to .260 in 1998 and .277 last year, when he had a career-high 77 RBIs.

Last weekend, the Mets and Cincinnati Reds agreed to a tentative trade that would have sent Barry Larkin to New York, but Larkin blocked the deal, using his rights as a 10-year veteran who has been with his team for five of more years.

Ordonez and the Mets agreed Jan. 25 to a $19 million, four-year that calls for him to get $16 million in the next three years. New York, however, appears to be interested in Seattle's Alex Rodriguez, who is eligible for free agency after the season.

Mora, 28, is hitting .260 with six homers and 30 RBIs, while Kinkade, 27, is 0-for-2 at the major league level this season but led the Eastern League with .366 average. hitting 10 homers with 67 RBIs.

Brea, a 21-year-old right-hander, was 5-8 with 4.24 ERA at Double-A Binghampton.

Bordick is making $3 million this season. Mora and Kinkade are making $210,000 apiece.