ARIZONA ACQUIRES BELL; FREE AGENT GETS $34 MILLION DEAL.

Byline: Daily News Staff and Wire Services

The Arizona Diamondbacks didn't even wait for the expansion draft to show the rest of baseball they mean business.

A day before they and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays began picking, the cash-rich Diamondbacks acquired their first bona fide big leaguer, signing free-agent shortstop Jay Bell to a $34 million, five-year contract Monday.

``We've made a $300 million investment to get into baseball and I think this signing of Jay Bell is indicative of our commitment to put a winning team on the field,'' Diamondbacks chief executive officer Jerry Colangelo said.

Arizona was not the only team getting busy, either.

The Boston Red Sox appeared to be on the brink of trading for NL Cy Young winner Pedro Martinez of Montreal. But on a draft day promising to be full of surprises, there was this shocker waiting for the Red Sox: Martinez flatly stated he will not sign a long-term deal with Boston.

Martinez, eligible for free agency after next season, and his agent, Bob Gilhooley, spoke with Expos general manager Jim Beattie on Monday. Beattie told Martinez a trade had not been completed, according to a person familiar with the conversation who spoke on the condition he not be identified.

Martinez, in turn, told Beattie he had no interest in the Red Sox.

``Pedro made it very clear he would not sign a long-term contract with Boston,'' the source said. ``He indicated to Beattie certain clubs he wanted to go to and certain clubs he did not want to go to.''

There was talk, too, that the Red Sox could get reliever Robb Nen of the Marlins and that St. Louis Cardinals might acquire Florida pitcher Kevin Brown. The Diamondbacks were working on a deal to get Matt Williams in a swap that would send Tim Naehring and Eric Young to the Indians.

But the New York Mets' interest in Florida star Gary Sheffield might be cooling, and the Seattle Mariners apparently turned down the New York Yankees' offer of reliever Mariano Rivera for Randy Johnson.

No trades can be announced until the end of the draft, which could come around 8 p.m. today. But free agents are free to sign - while the Diamondbacks got Bell, the Atlanta Braves got shortstop Walt Weiss, formerly of Colorado, for a three-year, $9 million contract.

Saberhagen re-signed: The Boston Red Sox have re-signed pitcher Bret Saberhagen. The former Cleveland High star has been signed for his second season with the team, Red Sox spokesman Kevin Shea said. A two-time Cy Young Award winner, Saberhagen, 33, missed all of the 1996 season because of shoulder surgery.

He finally returned to the majors in late August and made six starts for the Red Sox, going 0-1 with a 6.58 ERA over 26 innings.

Too much time: Bell was looking for a team with which to retire. The Dodgers were not going to give him that opportunity.

Bell said his agent, Scott Boras, talked with the Dodgers only briefly. Bell said he and the Dodgers were far apart on the length of the contract. Boras said Monday the Dodgers did not make an official offer to Bell.

``The term of the contract was really important to me,'' Bell said. ``Five years, that's probably about when I'll be done with the game.''

The Dodgers, in the market for a shortstop, had spoken with Weiss' agent, Jim Bronner, as well. Jeff Blauser (Atlanta) and Jose Vizcaino (San Francisco) remain available.

Secrets: Tampa Bay general manager Chuck LaMar said he was in favor of the lists of protected players being made public.

The league's general managers voted to keep the lists secret. Anyone who saw the lists had to sign a confidentiality agreement and was threatened with a $250,000 fine if he or she breached that confidence.

``I thought Major League Baseball missed a golden opportunity for publicity,'' LaMar said, echoing a popular sentiment. LaMar added that if the lists were public, fans could have ``played rotisserie baseball right along with us.''

Dodgers executive vice president Fred Claire was one of the general managers who wanted to keep the lists from getting out. It saved feelings and prevented headaches, he said.

Ex-pitcher dies: Russ Meyer, who pitched in three World Series in the 1950s, died of congestive heart failure at the age of 74.

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PHOTO The signing of shortstop Jay Bell, right, has many in baseball fearing Diamondbacks owner Jerry Colangelo will go on spending spree.

Associated Press