NEW YORK -- Fernando Jesus Martinez stood among a throng of reporters after two rounds of batting practice in which he launched two home runs, sweat dripping down his face and a wide smile readying to break out.

The first question came, and Martinez engaged the reporter like a seasoned pro, laughing and gesticulating to emphasize his points.

Martinez looked like he belonged.

And he's only 16.

"It's a good experience for him, getting a chance to get a taste of being in a big league ballpark and being around the team and players, and just getting to see if he can hit them over the fence," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "He's a little kid. I'm sure it's a test for him, but it's exciting, like being in a candy store."

The Mets signed Martinez, a left-handed-hitting outfielder, as an international free agent on July 11. A native of the Dominican Republic, Martinez received a $1.4 million signing bonus -- less than what he was offered by other teams. The Padres, Indians and Mariners were the most interested of five franchises pursuing Martinez.

"I really am happy to be here," Martinez said through an interpreter. "This is the team that my heart is with. It was a big decision for me."

General manager Omar Minaya attributed the signing in part to the cachet of Dominican ace Pedro Martinez, which the young outfielder supported.

"I used to watch these guys on television, and my idols are [Carlos] Beltran and Pedro Martinez," the young Martinez said. "It's a trip to be with these guys here and take batting practice with them."

Minaya likened Martinez to the high school players drafted in the first round of this year's First-Year Player Draft, but believes Martinez is ahead of them developmentally. Minaya said the signing -- along with that of 16-year-old pitcher Deolis Guerra of Venezuela -- filled the team's void of not having picks in the second and third rounds.

Minaya praised Martinez's strength and noted that he and Sandy Johnson, the special assistant to the general manager, have an established track record signing young players. Minaya cited the signings of Ivan Rodriguez at age 15 and Juan Gonzalez at age 16 as evidence.

"What we saw in [Martinez] was a 16-year-old kid with power, great ability and great character, above everything else," Minaya said.

That character shined through in Martinez's brief media session.

"I don't feel any pressure," Martinez said of his contract. "My mind is not about money, my mind is about making it to the big leagues."

Though he will report to the Instructional League in Port St. Lucie, Fla., this fall, Martinez is probably four years away from playing in the Majors.

Introducing him to the media, Minaya cautioned Martinez, "This is what you get, hopefully, if you play for the Mets."

The questions came, Martinez answered, and for a brief moment, four years didn't seem so far off.

Giving Floyd a lift: David Wright will find out for sure Sunday if he's beyond rookie status when the Mets head to Denver for a three-game series at Coors Field against the Rockies. But he's pretty sure he knows the answer already. The Mets' season is beyond its midpoint, and Wright played in his 162nd big league game Thursday. He long ago lost his rookie status, according to the rules of baseball.

But to Cliff Floyd, Wright is just a plebe, a freshman, a kid -- a bellman.

Floyd, who has carried the Mets at times this season, doesn't carry his luggage -- Wright does. It's part of Wright's ongoing initiation to the big leagues. When the Mets travel, Wright turns into Floyd's personal porter. And nothing changed when Wright passed his first-year milepost.

"I didn't even ask," Wright said. "I just assume nothing has changed. I mean, I know nothing has changed. He's not letting me up. I didn't even ask, and he got mad because a reporter asked him if my time was up."

For Wright, it's a different kind of "Wait till next year."

Funny faces: If you are unfamiliar with the work of Small Faces, a British group from the late '60s, and their hit "Itchycoo Park," well, this still might make some sense. In an idle moment during the Mets' win Thursday against the Padres, Bob Waterman of Elias Sports Bureau noted the sequence of Mets pitchers -- Kazuhisa Ishii followed by Dae-Sung Koo -- and decided the Mets should trade for Chan Ho Park of the Rangers and create the potential for a sequence of Ishii, Koo, Park.

Mets history on this date: In a midsummer precursor to postseason success in 1969, starting left fielder Cleon Jones had two hits and scored twice, and Jerry Koosman pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings as the National League defeated the American League, 9-3, in the All-Star Game in Washington. Five years later, Mets manager Yogi Berra guided the NL to a 7-2 victory in the 1974 All-Star Game in Pittsburgh.

On deck: It's another Pedro day Saturday as Pedro Martinez faces the Dodgers, his original club, for the first time since he beat them while with the Red Sox in 2004.

Pitching in Boston on June 13, 2004, Martinez surrendered a run in the first inning and little else in the subsequent six innings. He has a 2-3 record with a 3.16 ERA in six career starts against the Dodgers. The last time Martinez faced the Dodgers before last summer was Aug. 14, 1997, as a member of the Expos. He lost, 1-0. Martinez (11-3) opposes right-hander D.J. Houlton (4-3) in the 3:15 p.m. ET game.