PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Whether the Mets’ reactions were genuine or couched to avoid a cross-state he-said, he-said, the defending National League East champions essentially dismissed challenging comments made on Tuesday by Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who repeated his assertion that the Phillies are “the team to beat” in the division.

“I can’t put it any other way,” Rollins said on Tuesday in Clearwater, Fla.

But the Mets had different — and less confrontational — ways of looking at the race when they were made aware of Rollins’ assertions. Their reactions were mostly benign.

“The Phillies probably were the most active team in our division,” Mets left-hander Tom Glavine said, “but what you do in the winter — it looks good and it’s a nice to talk about — but it doesn’t equate to anything. You bring in pieces of the puzzle and hope they mesh. You hope you have a good year. But nobody’s going to know that until the year starts.

“I think we’re more worried about our own business.”

Heh… Way to handle the trashtalker, Tom. Truth is, the Mets are the team to beat in the division. Just the way it is. Philly was good, but Philly never produces down the stretch and never does well in the playoffs. If that’s the team to beat, then so be it, but I think Rollins is a bit on the delusional side.

Billy Wagner, a former Philly himself, wasn’t to worried about Rollins’ remarks either:

“Our motivation,” Wagner said, “isn’t to beat the Phillies. Our motivation is to win the World Series.”

Oh, and don’t forget David Wright:

“We’re not going to come out and talk,” Mets third baseman David Wright said. “We don’t need to do that. Until somebody dethrones us, we’re the defending NL East champs, and we’re going to act like it. As far as predictions and talking about it, talk is very cheap.

“Our mind-set going into every year when the Braves won was, ‘To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best.’ We found a way to dethrone the Braves. The Phillies can talk as much as they want, but until they prove it on the field, it’s just talk.”

It sure is… Carlos Beltran wins best comment, though:

“Good for him,” Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran said of Rollins. “What did they win last year?

“I don’t take it personally. That’s him making a comment. We’re the ones who won last year, and we got better. We will show it in the field. I don’t need to say anything. People say crazy things. I’m not surprised by anything.”

‘Nuff said.

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