NEW YORK -- Andy Benes terminated his contract with Arizona and became a free agent, and John Olerud and Kenny Rogers were among three New York Mets who filed Friday.

Benes and the Diamondbacks agreed in February 1998 to an $18 million, three-year contract that paid him $6 million per season, but the deal gave him the right to end it after two years and he informed the Diamondbacks late Thursday he was opting out.

The 32-year-old right-hander was 13-12 with a 4.81 ERA on a staff that included Randy Johnson, Omar Daal, Armando Reynoso, Brian Anderson and Todd Stottlemyre, who was injured for much of the regular season.

Olerud has been with the Mets for three seasons and was coming off an $8 million, two-year deal. The 31-year-old first baseman hit .298 with 19 homers and 96 RBIs, and may be wooed by new Seattle general manager Pat Gillick, the GM in Toronto when Olerud played for the Blue Jays.

Gillick phoned Olerud's parents earlier this week, before he became a free agent, and the commissioner's office is investigating whether that contact broke anti-tampering rules.

Rogers, who pitched a perfect game for Texas against California on July 28, 1994, walked in the winning run last week in the sixth and final game of the NL Championship Series, giving Atlanta a 10-9, 10-inning win over the New York Mets and a 4-2 series win.

Shawon Dunston, another player obtained by the Mets just before the July 31 trade deadline, also was among the 29 players who filed Friday, raising the total to 49 among the approximately 140 potentially eligible.

Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones, one of the stars of the Braves' pennant run, learned Friday that the team was exercising a $4.75 million option for next season.

Right-hander Eric Plunk's $1.8 million option was declined by the Milwaukee Brewers, who must pay a $150,000 buyout.

The Chicago Cubs declined a $7 million option on infielder Jeff Blauser and a $3.5 million option on catcher Benito Santiago. Blauser, who hit .240 with nine homers and 26 RBIs, gets a $200,000 buyout.

Also filing Friday were Cincinnati left-hander Steve Avery, who declined a $3 million mutual option in favor of a $1 million buyout, Reds right-hander Juan Guzman, St. Louis left-hander Darren Oliver, Pittsburgh third baseman Ed Sprague and Toronto left-hander Graeme Lloyd.

Lloyd was sent to Toronto by the Yankees in February along with David Wellsand Homer Bush for Roger Clemens. New York may attempt to bring him back by signing him as a free agent.