Mets sign catcher Rob Johnson to minor league deal (AP)

The New York Mets have agreed to a minor league contract with catcher Rob Johnson and invited him to spring training. The Mets announced the move Thursday. The 28-year-old Johnson batted .190 (34 for 179) with six doubles, one triple, a career-high three homers and 16 RBIs in 67 games for the San Diego Padres last season.

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Mets, reliever Frank Francisco agree to two-year pact (Yahoo! Sports)

The New York Mets have agreed to terms on a two-year deal with reliever Frank Francisco. ESPN is reporting the pact is for $12 million, though terms of the deal have not officially been released. Francisco was 1-4 with 17 saves and a 3.55 ERA in 54 games for the Toronto Blue Jays in...

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Frank Francisco signs 2-year contract with Mets (AP)

Reliever Frank Francisco has signed a two-year contract with the New York Mets. The 32-year-old Francisco went 1-4 with 17 saves and a 3.55 ERA in 54 games with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011. The right-hander has appeared in 50 or more games in each of the last five years. He had 25 saves with the Rangers in 2009.

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K-Rod becomes free agent after option declined (AP)

Francisco Rodriguez's $17.5 million mutual option has been declined, and the Milwaukee Brewers reliever was among 148 players who become free agents Sunday. K-Rod's deal was reworked when he was traded from the New York Mets during the All-Star break, changing it from an option that would have become guaranteed had he finished 55 games.

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Fan flashback: Five most memorable NLCS walk-off hits (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

The great thing about the Major League Baseball playoffs is that anyone, from a future Hall of Famer to a utility infielder, can be a hero. Here are five players who won games in the National League Championship Series with walk-off hits and etched their names in postseason...

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Tigers trying to avoid 0-2 hole in ALCS at Texas (AP)

The Detroit Tigers have already lost two starting outfielders for the water-logged AL championship series. Now they will try to avoid losing a second game against the defending American League champion Texas Rangers before the series switches to Detroit without a break between games. After the ALCS opener won by Texas 3-2 in a game that was twice delayed by rain, Game 2 was postponed Sunday night...

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Mets’ year-end report cards (part 2): Fan’s take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

The New York Mets' offense in 2011 wasn't as bad as you may think. The team's best hitters, David Wright, Jose Reyes and Ike Davis, missed a combined 222 games this season, yet New York finished tied for first in doubles and walks and ranked third in stolen bases in the...

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Mets replaced as worst gaggers: A fan’s opinion (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

Well, it took only a few years to remove the ignominious tag of worst tank job in the history of baseball from the New York Mets. In 2007, the Mets blew a seven-game lead with 17 games to play. The 2011 Atlanta Braves blew an 8 1/2-game lead in September.

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Mariners, Athletics to open season at Tokyo Dome (AP)

The Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics will open next season in Japan with a two-game series at the Tokyo Dome on March 28 and 29. Seattle and Oakland had been scheduled to play there in March 2003, but the series was scrapped because of the threat of war in Iraq. The A's will be the home team in both games, the MLB commissioner's office said Wednesday.

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Strawberry’s advice to Reyes: Stay in New York (AP)

Darryl Strawberry has some advice for Jose Reyes: Stay in New York. Reyes can become a free agent after the season, so he might be playing his final few games with the Mets. Strawberry, the club's career leader in home runs and RBIs, was in a similar position back in 1990 as a homegrown star about to hit the open market in his prime.

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