Mo Vaughn's career could be over -- especially if he undergoes major knee surgery.

Vaughn, 35, has an arthritic left knee. He has no cartilage in part of the knee, causing bone to rub against bone and pain that is too intense to play through. He was put on the disabled list on May 2, and has not played since. In 79 at-bats this season, Vaughn is hitting just .190 with three homers.

All six of the doctors Vaughn consulted recently recommend knee replacement surgery, which would certainly end Vaughn's career, ESPN's Peter Gammons reports. Vaughn is waiting for another month and will attempt to get his knee flushed (arthroscopic surgery) in the hopes that knee replacement surgery could be avoided.

"I'm 35, not 40, and if I have the knee replacement surgery, it's going to be practically impossible to come back," Vaughn told Gammons on Thursday. "I still want to play, so I'm going to wait a few weeks, see if I can have it flushed out and then determine if there's any chance I can come back. I have played through pain before, so pain isn't the issue. Of course, playing through pain is one of the reasons I'm in his predicament."

Vaughn and agent Jeff Moorad met with the Mets on Wednesday.

"My understanding is that he will need surgery just to walk normally, never mind play baseball," a Mets official told Gannett News Service on Wednesday.

The Mets released this statement after the meeting: "We had a very productive meeting with Mo and his representatives. We discussed all of the information that has been gathered and now Mo will take it into consideration and make a decision in the near future on how to proceed."

Vaughn is owed approximately $28 million on his contract. An insurance policy would pay 75 percent of Vaughn's contract once he spends 90 days on the disabled list, and that deadline would pass on July 31, according to Gannett.

Vaughn will earn $15 million next season and has a $2 million buyout for 2005.

Over the last four seasons, Vaughn has missed more than 200 games with injuries to his left ankle, left arm, right hand and now the left knee. In parts of two seasons with the Mets, Vaughn has hit only .249 with 29 homers in 166 games. He also has committed 19 errors at first base.

While with the Red Sox, Vaughn, the 1995 American League MVP, was selected to three All-Star teams.