VIERA, Fla. – The Mets traveled 75 minutes on a bus so they could wait three hours for their exhibition game against the Marlins to be rained out, so they could get back on a bus and travel another 75 minutes.

Waiting to hear the inevitable rain-out announcement is nearly as annoying as it gets for ballplayers, yet it doesn’t even compare to waiting out trade rumors. No matter how big the name or how secure the player, to read one’s name in the paper in a trade rumor is to fidget.

When the Dodgers asked for either Mike Piazza or Edgardo Alfonzo in exchange for Gary Sheffield, general manager Steve Phillips didn’t have to think before instantly responding in the negative.

Still, Piazza was annoyed and Alfonzo said, “You never know. This is a business and anything can happen in a business.”

When the Dodgers asked for Armando Benitez and were turned down, Benitez dealt with it by joking he was packing his bags.

And then there is Jay Payton, who was among the players waiting for yesterday’s game to be scratched so he could get back on a bus. Payton loves New York, has spent his entire professional career with the Mets, and is coming off a rookie season that was as encouraging as it was delayed by injuries.

Payton and Gary Sheffield have two things in common: They both want to play for the Mets and don’t want to play for the Dodgers. The difference is Payton isn’t trashing the Dodgers in an effort to keep from playing there. It’s not his style.

At the moment, Phillips is trying to do whatever he can to trade for Sheffield without parting with Payton. Phillips already has decided not to deal Benitez for Sheffield.

Payton reads the trade rumors with crossed fingers and a level head. He wants to play his entire career with the Mets.

“That would be nice,” Payton said. “That would be real nice. I like it here. I like everybody in the organization and I like everything about being here. I don’t know anything else and I don’t want to know anything else.”

Even so, he doesn’t appear rattled by the rumors.

“After all I’ve been through, I’m glad to hear somebody wants me,” Payton said. “After having 25 surgeries, it’s nice to hear somebody wants me.”

Benny Agbayani, Payton’s best friend on the team, read his name last month in a trade rumor that had him going to the Cubs.

“It’s kind of weird,” Agbayani said. “You haven’t even played an inning or even put the uniform on for the first time and you read your name in a trade rumor.”

In Payton, the Mets have a rare home-grown outfielder, a standout defensive center fielder, a hitter with a high ceiling. They also have a terrific representative of the organization, given his upbeat personality and sharp mind. He’s a keeper.

Ask yourself this question: If you had to trade either Payton or Benitez to get Sheffield, which player’s bags would you pack?

More baseball executives would choose Payton for fear his injury history could resurface and because closers as overpowering as Benitez are difficult to find.

I’d rather deal Benitez. He’s a finished product. Payton will only get better. In John Franco, the Mets have an obvious replacement for Benitez. The Mets don’t have a replacement for Payton.

His production (.291, 17 homers, 62 RBIs) in 149 games was good for third in National League Rookie of the Year voting. The numbers look better when considering he had all of 30 major league at-bats heading into 2000.

He struggled with breaking pitches, especially early in the season, and will continue to do so until he finds the only solution: time and at-bats.

“You have to be able to hit the fastball to get here,” Payton said. “If you’re a young player getting abused, it’s with breaking balls. I’m still making strides with that and I have a long way to go. I have to be able to recognize pitches earlier. That comes with at-bats, more than anything.”

Payton’s bat was ahead of his glove when he was drafted in the first round out of Georgia Tech. Not anymore. Through the numerous rehab stints from elbow surgeries, Payton could not swing a bat or throw a baseball.

“But he could shag fly balls and got better at that,” Phillips said. “He played tremendous defense last year.”

He will improve at the plate as well.

“I missed most or all of four seasons and I think my mental stability helped me get through that,” Payton said.

That same quality helps him to cope with trade rumors. Stable, talented ballplayers are worth keeping.