JUPITER, Fla. -- The mystery of the makeup of the Mets' bullpen was solved Saturday afternoon when Matt Ginter, the king of camouflage, disappeared from view. The pitcher, who had hoped to find relief work in Queens, became a member of the Tigers staff -- and perhaps their rotation, too -- when, for the second straight year, he was traded in the final days of Spring Training.

The Tigers, who had been scouting the Mets most of the spring, sent 26-year-old left-handed reliever Steve Colyer to the Mets in the exchange. Colyer, who appeared in 41 games with the Tigers last year, was assigned to the Mets' Triple-A Norfolk affiliate.

The trade appears to give the Mets' bullpen the look of relative permanence. Manager Willie Randolph had mentioned Ginter as an afterthought Friday when he reviewed the bullpen personnel, saying Ginter still could begin the season with the Mets if Kris Benson were unavailable to pitch because of the pectoral strain he suffered Monday.

Benson's status as the starter for the Mets' fifth game Saturday in Atlanta was no longer in question when the trade was completed. He already had played long toss and hadn't experienced any discomfort that suggested he wouldn't be ready. But a source with the Mets indicated the completion of the deal hadn't been contingent on Benson's health.

Because there are no options remaining on Ginter's contract, the Mets would have had to assign him outright to the minor leagues had they opted to retain and demote him. Another club probably would have claimed him. This way, they received something in return, a 6-foot-4, 235-pound pitcher with a good fastball, but with control issues.

Ginter, obtained by the Mets from the White Sox for Timo Perez on March 27, 2004, hadn't allowed an earned run in 14 innings this spring. He had a 1-3 record and 4.54 ERA in 15 games -- 14 starts -- last season. He had become a popular figure in the clubhouse, particularly among the hunters and fishermen. Ginter, Braden Looper and Mike DeJean had lockers in one corner of the Spring Training clubhouse they liked to call "Camo (for camouflage) Corner."

The three already had planned hunting trips for upstate New York in mid-May.

Colyer, who walked 12 and struck out six in 10 2/3 innings in 11 exhibition appearances, had been removed from the Tigers' 40-man roster before the trade. He is not on the Mets' 40-man roster as Ginter had been. Pitching his home games in a pitcher-friendly park, Colyer produced a 1-0 record and 6.47 ERA last season pitching merely 32 innings in his 41 appearances. He allowed an average of 16 base runners per nine innings.

The Mets already have three left-handed pitchers in the bullpen: Dae-Sung Koo, Mike Matthews and Felix Heredia. So the chances of Colyer pitching in the Major Leagues soon seem slim.

The rest of the crowded 'pen includes closer Looper, setup man DeJean, Roberto Hernandez and Manny Aybar.