Meneses accepts pay cut, joins Thunder

The Vergel Meneses-Homer Se trade is a done deal.

The last hitch was ironed out yesterday with the camp of Meneses agreeing to the terms of the contract he would get from Red Bull Barako once the trade that also involved Se and the Fedex ballclub is closed.

The existing contracts of both Meneses and Se are to expire at the end of the year, and that caused some kinks on the consummation of the player-swap.

Red Bull Barako and FedEx had long agreed to a Meneses-Se trade but took some time to settle would-be pays of the two players.

Player agent Danny Espiritu, who handles both Meneses and Se, said the trade is done since Meneses has accepted Red Bull Barako’s offer of more or less P5 million for 18 months. The flamboyant 6-foot-3 forward still receives the maximum monthly pay of P500,000 at the moment.

Se had long nodded to a three-and-a-half-year pact with FedEx worth around P10 million, also according to Espiritu.

Thus as the 2004 PBA season opens in October, Meneses will already be in Red Bull’s red and black jersey and Se in FedEx’ violet uniform as The STAR reported earlier.

Meneses, the 1995 MVP winner who is to play his 13th PBA season, will be reunited with coach Yeng Guiao with whom he won two crowns with the now defunct Swift Mighty Meaty team in the mid-90s.

"It’s no secret that we really want Vergel in our team. I hope the feeling is mutual," said Guiao during the All-Star Game where he had Meneses among his players in the North squad.

Meneses, 35, will be playing for his sixth team in the local pro league after his stints with Presto, Sta. Lucia Realty, Swift, Barangay Ginebra and FedEx.

The youthful and rugged-playing Se, meanwhile, will join several former MBA rivals at FedEx. Among them are Omanzie Rodriguez, Wynne Arboleda, John Ferriols, Jherome Ejercito, Marc Pingris, Ryan Bernardo and Egay Billones.