ANAHEIM, Calif. – Pedro Martinez closed in on a four-year deal with the Mets, and the Boston Red Sox resigned themselves yesterday to losing the three-time Cy Young Award winner.

“He was a great member of the Red Sox team for seven years, and a certain Hall of Famer,” Red Sox President Larry Lucchino told the Associated Press in an e-mail. “He will be missed, and we are disappointed to have lost him to the Mets and the National League.”

Martinez’s agent, Fernando Cuza, told the Mets he will attempt to work out a deal with them after New York guaranteed a fourth year, a person involved in the talks said on condition of anonymity.

Mets General Manager Omar Minaya expressed confidence about the negotiations with Martinez, but wouldn’t detail the discussions.

“The good news is that we’re still in dialogue,” Minaya said. “Every day that goes by and we are having dialogue is a good day.”

Minaya then left baseball’s winter meetings and returned to New York, and the sides will work by telephone to finalize the contract language. Cuza did not want to comment on the talks.

Martinez helped pitch Boston to its first World Series title since 1918, but Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein said he refused to increase the team’s offer in the past two days.

“We wish Pedro nothing but the best going forward both on the field and off the field,” Boston owner John Henry said in an e-mail. “He pitched with every ounce of his being for the Red Sox over the course of 216 games. Some of those performances were among the most memorable in Red Sox history.”

Martinez, 33, must pass a physical before the Mets complete the deal.

New York initially offered a $37.5 million, three-year contract with a $12.5 million team option for 2008. Boston’s final proposal was a $40.5 million, three-year deal with a club option for 2008, a baseball official said, also on condition of anonymity. The Red Sox thought the Mets’ offer was for $56 million over four years, the official said, but a Mets official said that figure was incorrect.

An agent who spoke with the Mets said New York’s proposal was worth about $52 million.

“We put our best foot forward and made an offer that makes sense to the club,” Epstein said. “We think it’s a fair and generous offer.”

Landing Martinez would be the splashiest move made by the Mets since Minaya became general manager in late September. A six-time All-Star with Montreal and the Red Sox, Martinez has a 182-76 record and 2.71 ERA in a 13-year major league career that began with Los Angeles in 1992. Minaya, who also is Dominican, visited Martinez in his homeland last month.

Martinez would join a Mets rotation that includes two-time Cy Young winner Tom Glavine, Kris Benson, Steve Trachsel, and Victor Zambrano.