DENVER – Jeromy Burnitz and Colorado agreed Saturday to a one-year contract that guarantees the outfielder $1.5 million, and the Rockies cut ties with Jay Payton.

Burnitz split time last year between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers, hitting a combined .239 with 31 home runs and 77 RBI. Burnitz was an All-Star in 1999 for Milwaukee and has hit at least 30 homers in five of his last six seasons.

The contract calls for a $1.25 million salary next season and gives the sides a $3 million mutual option with a $250,000 buyout. It is contingent on Burnitz passing a physical.

Burnitz likely will replace Payton in Colorado’s outfield next season.

The Rockies declined to offer Payton a contract by Saturday’s deadline, making him a free agent.

Payton had a career year in 2003, hitting .302 with 28 home runs and 89 RBIs. But the Rockies did not want to pay Payton what he would have been worth in salary arbitration.

The Rockies also did not offer contracts to right-hander pitcher Scott Elarton and infielder Kit Pellow.

Cirillo says no to Mets

SEATTLE – Third baseman Jeff Cirillo has blocked a trade to the New York Mets, saying he’d rather come off the bench for the Seattle Mariners than take his chances with another team.

The Mets and Mariners had agreed on a deal that would have sent Cirillo to New York for outfielder Roger Cedeno.

“As far as the Mets were concerned, it wouldn’t be a starting role, it would have been as a utilityman,” Cirillo’s agent, Jeff Borris, said Saturday. “He didn’t want to move his family across the country if it wasn’t going to be a starting job.”

Cirillo’s contract contains a limited no-trade clause that allows him to block deals to about 10 teams. His decision to reject the deal was reported Saturday by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and The Seattle Times.

Cirillo is a California native who lives in Redmond, Wash., and his wife has relatives in the Seattle area. That was one of the main draws for Cirillo when he joined the Mariners two years ago.

Though he made All-Star appearances with Milwaukee and Colorado, his hitting with the Mariners has been a major disappointment. A career .312 hitter when he arrived, Cirillo has hit .249 and .205 in two seasons in Seattle.

His defense, on the other hand, has been outstanding. He’s made only 13 errors in 233 games in Seattle.

Cirillo spent almost month in July and August last season on the disabled list because of a subluxated right shoulder.

He did rehabilitation work in the minors but played in only two of Seattle’s final 35 games.

He started with a .171 average in April but hit .306 in May but trailed off after the All-Star break. On July 29, the Mariners traded a minor leaguer for shortstop Rey Sanchez and moved Carlos Guillen to third.

Cirillo is owed $6.6 million in 2004 and $6.9 million in 2005 under a deal he agreed to with Colorado in July 2000. The contract contains a $7.5 million team option for 2006 with a $1.25 million buyout.

Mets general manager Jim Duquette didn’t want to speak specifically about Cirillo. “We will continue to explore all avenues to help improve our ballclub,” he said in a statement.

AP-ES-12-20-03 1834EST