NEW YORK – Billy Wagner is following Carlos Delgado to Shea Stadium, reaching a preliminary agreement on a $43 million, four-year contract with the New York Mets.

Just hours after Delgado’s introductory news conference at the ballpark on Monday, Wagner agreed to a deal with the highest average salary for a reliever.

“Everybody’s looking for pitching and there’s not a lot of pitching out on the market. Consequently, it’s economics,” said Philadelphia Phillies general manager Pat Gillick, who was unsuccessful in his attempt to re-sign the closer.

Earlier Monday, B.J. Ryan finalized a $47 million, five-year agreement with the Toronto Blue Jays. The total of Ryan’s contract is the largest for a reliever. The previous marks for total and average were held by New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera.

“It’s good not to have an unsigned closer right now, to be in the market for a closer,” said Rick Hahn, assistant general manager of the World Series champion Chicago White Sox. “It certainly is an indication of this robust market for free agents.”

With Wagner headed to New York, Philadelphia is considering Tom Gordon and Trevor Hoffman. The Yankees have a two-year offer out to Gordon and also have been negotiating with Kyle Farnsworth.

Another sign of the premium placed on pitching was the deal Oakland gave to starter Esteban Loaiza, who went 12-10 with a 3.77 ERA for the Washington Nationals last season. He agreed to a three-year contract with the Athletics worth $21,375,000.

And in a deal finalized Tuesday, the Chicago Cubs gave a $12 million, three-year contract to right-handed setup man Bobby Howry, who joins left-hander Scott Eyre in their beefed-up bullpen.

Moments after pulling on a Mets jersey at Shea Stadium, Delgado explained why he won’t continue his refusal to stand on the field during “God Bless America,” a stance he took the last two seasons while playing with Toronto and then Florida. Delgado, who spurned New York last offseason to sign with the Marlins, spoke about his anti-war protest with Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon.

“I gave him my views on that subject and I also said I would not put myself in front of the team,” Delgado said. “The Mets have a policy that everybody should stand for ‘God Bless America’ and I will be there. I will not cause any distractions to the ballclub.”

New York also has offers out to free agent catchers Bengie Molina and Ramon Hernandez, and the Mets haven’t ruled out trying to acquire Manny Ramirez from the Boston Red Sox.

In Chicago, Jim Thome was introduced by the White Sox, who acquired him in a trade from the Phillies last week. He said he already tried to be a recruiter, calling free-agent first baseman Paul Konerko.

“Please come back,” was Thome’s message. “I put a call into him this weekend. We have not talked. I’ve known Paulie for a long time. … I just wanted him to know from my end. We’ll connect I’m sure. He probably has a lot going on and vice versa.”

Considered by many the top reliever on the free-agent market, Wagner saved 38 games for Philadelphia last season. The Phillies offered just more than $30 million over three years to retain the 34-year-old left-hander, a four-time All-Star whose fastball reaches 100 mph.

Philadelphia was set to increase the money at 4 p.m. Monday but 45 minutes earlier received a call from Wagner’s agent informing the club of the pitcher’s decision.

“Three years we felt very comfortable with. Going to a fourth year as the Mets went to, we didn’t feel that comfortable,” Gillick said.

Wagner needed to pass a physical, which was likely to take place Tuesday. New York spokesman Jay Horwitz declined comment, but the Mets scheduled an afternoon news conference at Shea Stadium.

In Toronto, Ryan was asked at his news conference if he was worth the money.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I guess I’m going to go out on that field and see. When you sign a deal like this, you want to hold up your end of it.”

A left-hander who turns 30 on Dec. 28, Ryan has 42 career saves, including 36 last season for the Baltimore Orioles.

“He stands among the few pitchers in baseball worthy of a five-year contract,” Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi said. “I know our starting pitchers will be very happy to hear this news.”

Ryan’s deal tops the $39.99 million, four-year contract Rivera got from the Yankees from 2001-04. Wagner’s average salary of $10.75 million tops that of Rivera, who has one season remaining under a $21 million, two-year contract with New York.

Loaiza made 34 starts last season, striking out 173 and walking 55 batters in 217 innings. A two-time All-Star, he bounced back from a 1-4 start to go 11-6 with a 3.86 ERA in 23 outings after June 1.

Oakland general manager Billy Beane had money to sign Loaiza after trading aces Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder in a three-day span last December.

“For us, it was an opportunity to add a player without subtracting a player,” Beane said.

“Our history here, usually we’re trading a player to acquire a player.”