DETROIT — As the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline approaches, and the negotiating silence between the Reds and shortstop Barry Larkin lengthens, the trade speculation involving the 11-time All-Star has intensified.

        Though the situation is subject to daily change, the New York Mets, who have been cited as one of the few possible suitors for Larkin, have deepened their interest in acquiring the 14-year Reds veteran.

        “That's for real,” a baseball source with close ties to Mets management said Monday. “Everybody's in agreement that they'll try to work something out.”

        Larkin is said to be seeking a three-year, $28 million deal; the Reds are believed to have of fered a multiyear package worth $6 million annually.

        “We haven't heard from the Reds,” Larkin's agent Eric Goldschmidt said.

        Pressure has risen in New York for the Mets to do something. The Mets have slipped behind San Francisco in the wild-card race.

        A Mets official told the Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger, referring to Larkin, “Why wouldn't we be interested?” Harry Minor, the Mets' top talent evaluator, scouted the Reds last weekend in Colorado. Melvin Mora, filling in at shortstop for injured Gold Glove Award winner Rey Ordonez, has cost New York at least two games with defensive mistakes.

        The LA Dodgers, the other team mentioned as a potential Larkin bidder, are likely to refrain from pursuing a deal unless they rally themselves into contention for a postseason spot.

        Larkin can veto any trade, since he has at least 10 years in the majors and the last five with the same team. His remarks during the All-Star break about not wanting to be a “hired gun” indicated he would prefer to agree on a multiyear contract extension with his new club.

        Before obtaining Larkin, the Mets would have to decide what to do with Ordonez, who's owed $16 million between 2001-03. New York also would have to quash its dreams of signing Seattle's Alex Rodriguez, who's eligible for free agency after this season.

        “That's all speculation until it happens,” Goldschmidt said.

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