The Mets decided two weeks ago that they wouldn't trade Mike Cameron unless he forced the issue. Now Cameron has decided there's no reason to take that step.

Through his agent, Cameron informed the Mets that he wants to remain with the team even though he is being switched from center field to right field. Cameron followed that up with a face-to-face meeting with general manager Omar Minaya.

"Just let me be for a while; let me get healthy, and everything will fall into place," Cameron said.

Cameron has yet to play in a game this spring as he recovers from surgery on his left wrist. But he has impressed the Mets with both his dedication to rehabilitation and good will.

A former Gold Glove winner, Cameron is being moved to accommodate free-agent newcomer Carlos Beltran.

While a fine defensive player, Beltran has never won a Gold Glove. Most statistical analyses rate Cameron the better fielder, and he has the advantage of having played in cavernous Shea Stadium for one year. Both players committed eight errors last season.

But signing Beltran meant giving him the position he wanted. Cameron initially balked at the idea of moving and made it clear he would welcome a trade. The Mets entertained offers from several teams including Oakland and Pittsburgh but quickly found that getting equal value in return would be difficult.

After working out in right field this spring and getting a sense of the "new" Mets, Cameron has decided it would be better to play a new position in New York than his familiar position somewhere else.

"I think it's very good news. He wants to stay, be a Met and stay in right field. I said all along that Mike Cameron is a team player, and this just proves it," Minaya said. "This shows unselfishness. I commend him."

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