MET NOTES

PORT ST. LUCIE – At some point soon, the Mets are going to have a tough decision to make. Namely, whether to send down their best pitcher in camp so far.

The line on Orber Moreno: 10 innings, zero earned runs, seven hits, one walk, nine strikeouts. Oh, and a .189 batting average against.

Probably your only question is, who’s Orber Moreno?

He is a 26-year-old right-handed reliever who has simply been dominant so far. But as good as he’s been and as hard as it is to envision his not being on the major league roster, Moreno could become a victim of the roster. There isn’t much space in an already-crowded bullpen, and Moreno happens to have options.

“Just want to keep showing what I can do,” the Venezuelan native said.

The Mets wisely signed Moreno as a minor-league free agent before last season after he missed the 2002 campaign (then with the Royals organization) when he underwent surgery to repair a torn right labrum. It wasn’t Moreno’s first injury problem; he also had Tommy John surgery in 2000.

But last year Moreno pitched brilliantly for the Mets in both Double-A (1.69 ERA) and Triple-A (1.90 ERA). And although he was hit hard in a September audition with the Mets, allowing seven runs in eight innings, the hard-thrower has improved dramatically.

“He’s keeping the ball down better,” Art Howe said, “and he’s getting ahead of hitters consistently and using all his pitches.”

Moreno is also using his changeup more and credited Al Leiter for having helped him with his cutter. He’s also fully healthy.

Moreno could very well be the Mets’ future closer, though with Braden Looper entrenched in that spot now, Moreno would have to make the team as a short man.

Whether he earns a spot could depend on who gets the fifth starter’s job. If Grant Roberts doesn’t get the position, he’ll go back to the pen, and there would be even less room for Moreno.

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Bench coach Don Baylor, who has successfully completed his stem cell replacement treatment, will rejoin the Mets today. Baylor was suffering from multiple myeloma but is now cancer-free.

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The Mets have split-squad games today against the Dodgers at home and the Marlins in Jupiter. Aaron Heilman, John Franco, Looper and Mike Stanton will pitch in the former, while Scott Erickson and James Baldwin are slated to throw against the world champs.

The Mets have their first off-day of the spring tomorrow.