The Mets have him as the second-best prospect in the game. The Reds don't have him that high. They rank two players in all the minor leagues higher than this potential .300-hitting, 40-homer, 40-steal, Gold Glove-caliber defense with the arm to play right field, if necessary. Escobar, Jackson Melian and Drew Henson are three of Baseball America's top prospects, and instead of getting four draft picks (if he lost Neagle and Larkin to free agency), who would command around $5 million in signing bonuses, Bowden has three potential star players. Bowden also got four good young pitching prospects -- seven players in all for two players he could not keep.

And he isn't done dealing yet.

He's talking to the Rockies about Steve Parris, the A's and others about Pete Harnisch and several teams about Dmitri Young and Michael Tucker.

The Mets need Larkin, and Phillips, John Franco, Al Leiter and Larkin's good friend Lenny Harris are trying to convince him that they need him to get into the postseason. If Robin Ventura is down for an extended period of time, he leaves a huge void in the Mets lineup and in the clubhouse. Ventura is the real captain of that team. He's intelligent, tough, and one of those persons everyone gravitates toward.

Phillips wanted to have the option open to re-sign Larkin, because owner Fred Wilpon lusts for Rodriguez and there is the matter of the last three years on Rey Ordonez's contract. Granted, they'd just as soon rid themselves of Ordonez, but it's a hefty contract for the production they get from him. And, yes, believe it or not, even middle infielders get paid on how they hit.

In the meantime, Larkin would give the Mets badly needed offense at the top of their order, as well as presence, experience and character. Phillips stood up from the beginning and said the future is 2000, and hasn't been afraid to take chances -- and trading Escobar is a chance he had the courage to take.

Until Friday night, if you called the Reds switchboard, you got a recording that began, "Hi, this is Barry Larkin." If you called Saturday morning, you got a recording of a woman's voice.