The Yankees, swooping in as the money-losing Blue Jays look to dump salary, completed a deal for slugger Raul Mondesi yesterday, sending nondescript Double-A pitcher Scott Wiggins to Toronto.

Mondesi, who was pulled off the field before last night’s Blue Jay game in Boston, was expected to be with the Yanks in time for tonight’s game against the Indians at the Stadium.

Talks between the Yanks and Jays had been going on all weekend, and heated up yesterday. A formal announcement was expected last night.

“They [the Yankees] called Saturday,” Blue Jay GM J.P. Ricciardi said. “We told them there was no problem moving him [Mondesi] if the right situation became available. We told them, ‘You present us with an offer.'”

That offer was Wiggins, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound, 26-year-old lefty who was 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA for the Yanks’ Norwich Navigators’ farm team. Wiggins was a second-tier reliever not highly regarded in the Yank minor-league system.

The Blue Jays also will assume $6 million of the $13 million Mondesi is slated to make next season. The Yanks would be responsible for the $5.5 million remaining on Mondesi’s $11 million deal for this year.

“The mindset of the deal is, ‘Our future is now,'” Yankee GM Brian Cashman said.

The Yankees like the 31-year-old righty slugger’s power, the fact that he plays hard, and that his rifle right arm is considered by many to be among the best in the game.

But the Yanks don’t like him so much that they ever considered parting with top prospects such as Jason Arnold, recently promoted from Single-A to Double-A.

“The money is one thing, but we don’t want to give up prospects,” a top Yankee official told The Post yesterday. “Even at half we are paying a lot.”

The Blue Jays lost $55 million in Canadian money last year and are looking to get out from as much money as possible because they are slated to lose another $50 million this year, even though Ricciardi is under budget.

On the down side, the Jays were irked at Mondesi, who verbally sparred with manager Carlos Tosca last week when Tosca benched Mondesi for two games after he was late for a meeting, and the money.

Even though Mondesi is batting .224, he has 15 homers and 45 RBIs.

He was the favorite of several influential Yankee decision-makers who were presented with deals involving the Marlins’ Cliff Floyd and the Devil Rays’ Randy Winn.

“The Floyd thing never got going because the Marlins didn’t want to move him, there really was nothing there,” a source said.

Mondesi’s average has slipped since he signed the four-year deal, but he has averaged 28½ homers and 85 RBIs a season the past four seasons.

“He would give the Yankees great defense in right field and he will play his [butt] off for Joe [Torre],” one of Mondesi’s former managers said.

“All you have to do is say hello to him and tell him you like him. He loves to play.”

Raul Mondesi

AGE: 31

BATS: Right

THROWS: Right

-BORN: San Cristobal, Dominican Republic

-CONTRACT: Signed through 2003 ($13 million for 2003)

-CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Has hit 20 or more Hrs in seven straight seasons

-Won NL Rookie of the Year in 1994 with Dodgers

-Led the NL in outfield assists (16) in 1994 & 1995

-Won Gold Glove3 in 1995 & 1997

-Has a .275 avg with one HR and 2 RBIs in 11 games at Yankee Stadium, Lists former Blue Jay and fellow Dominican George Bell as his boyhood idol

-One of eight in MLB history to record mutiple 30/30 (30 homers, 30 steals) seasons (1997, 1999)