NASHVILLE – Mets GM Steve Phillips began what he hoped would be a financial triple play of moving his three least desired contracts yesterday by trading Rey Ordonez to Tampa for infielder Russ Johnson and a minor-leaguer.

The Mets so badly wanted to deal Ordonez they agreed to pay $4.25 million of the shortstop’s $6.25 million 2003 pact plus take Johnson, who is due $700,000 next year and had emotional problems that kept him away from the Devil Rays last season. The Mets had simply grown exhausted with Ordonez’ offensive inability on the field and immaturity off it. They also wanted whatever financial savings were possible and to open shortstop for their prized prospect, Jose Reyes.

“This is going to give us financial flexibility and clear room for Reyes,” Phillips said. “We are moving to a new era.”

Besides Ordonez, Phillips was still looking into dealing the bad contracts of Jeromy Burnitz and Roger Cedeno. In addition, the Mets are considering an intriguing way to fill third base by obtaining Montreal’s athletic shortstop Orlando Cabrera, who also would serve as insurance if Reyes were not ready.

For several weeks, the Mets have discussed permutations of a three-way trade that would result in them getting Denny Neagle. In the latest, Cedeno would end up in Texas, Burnitz and Ranger reliever Todd Van Poppel would go to Colorado and Neagle would become a Met – as long as he was willing to restructure elements of the three years at $37 million left on his contract. His agent, Barry Meister, arrived at the winter meetings yesterday, in part, to have those conversations.

At the conclusion of the deal with the Mets, the Rockies and Yanks might discuss a swap that would send Burnitz and Van Poppel to the Yanks for Raul Mondesi, Rondell White and Sterling Hitchcock. The odds on that deal are long, though. The Yanks yesterday rejected Texas’ straight-up offer of Van Poppel for Hitchcock, wanting Jay Powell instead.

With Neagle, the Mets would then look to deal Pedro Astacio’s $7.5 million contract. One GM thought that with Burnitz and Cedeno gone and some money freed up, the Mets might get into discussions for Ken Griffey Jr. But Met officials seem too leery of putting Griffey’s prickly personality in New York with so much financial risk (six years at $79 million left).

The Mets would rather add Cabrera just in case Reyes is not yet ready. If Reyes were ready, the Mets would move Cabrera to third base, feeling he has the skills to handle that position and even second base in 2004 if Roberto Alomar leaves to free agency. But the Expos – trying to move Bartolo Colon or Javier Vazquez – are not moving quickly on Cabrera.

So the Mets continue to look elsewhere for third basemen. They have talked to Houston about dealing Timo Perez for Geoff Blum. They inquired about Texas’ Hank Blalock, but were unwilling to part with Aaron Heilman. And they continue to monitor Kansas City’s Joe Randa plus free agents Bill Mueller and Norihito Nakamura. The Mets have no interest in Montreal’s Fernando Tatis, and tepid interest (at best) in free agent Jose Hernandez.