MET NOTES BALTIMORE – General manager Steve Phillips made a surprise visit here last night to “see the major league team,” as he put it, but team insiders said he was here to take one final good look at last night’s starter Octavio Dotel to determine if he wants to trade him or not.

The Marlins were one of the teams with a scout also here to watch Dotel, because the Mets are considering giving him up in a deal for Livan Hernandez.

Dotel is exactly the kind of pitcher teams want in return for proven veterans – a young, major-league-ready starter with a very high upside. Phillips said no deal is imminent, and he said he and his staff are still sifting through names to find a possible match.

Phillips added that there were only two players on the periphery of the market who would be either a No. 1 or No. 2 pitcher on the Mets, but he said they are only available if the Mets blow them away with an offer.

“There are no Randy Johnson’s out there,” he said.

One possible scenario would be to tie Bobby Bonilla to any deal, if another team would be willing. They may be trying to attach him to a deal, in other words saying, we’ll give you our top prospect if you take this headache off our hands. *Phillips said he would probably make a decision by the end of the week about whether to keep Vincente Rosario, the minor leaguer who was found not guilty of a sexual assault on a woman in Port St. Lucie last year, in his employ.

“Now that all the facts are out and the judicial system has ruled, we are considering all the facts and we’ll make a decision how to handle that…We have an idea what we’re going to do,” Phillips said. *Cal Ripken Jr.’s right wrist is still not fully healed and the future Hall of Famer said he wasn’t sure if he would be able to play tonight in the final game of the series. Ryan Minor started at third base again last night.