Mets sign John Mayberry Jr.

FLUSHING, N.Y., December 15, 2014 - The New York Mets today announced the club has signed outfielder John Mayberry Jr. to a one-year contract. In order to make room on the 40-man roster the Mets designated righthanded pitcher Gonzalez Germen for assignment.

Mayberry, who turns 31 on December 21, hit .212 (31-146) with seven home runs and 23 RBI in 78 games between the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays in 2014. The 6-6, 230-pounder batted .243 (17-70) with five home runs and 15 RBI vs. lefthanders last year. He was traded by the Phillies to the Blue Jays on August 31 in exchange for infielder Gustavo Pierre.

For his career, Mayberry has hit .269 (132-490) with 30 home runs, 78 RBI and a .533 slugging percentage vs. lefthanders. He has also hit .304 (34-112) with seven home runs and 21 RBI as a pinch-hitter.

Mayberry, Jr. is the son of former major league outfielder John Mayberry, who played in the majors from 1968-1982 with the Royals, Blue Jays, Astros and Yankees.

He has hit .241 (308-1,276) with 77 doubles, 53 home runs and 171 RBI during his career with the Phillies and Blue Jays. Mayberry has played all three outfield positions and first base.

Mayberry was originally drafted by the Texas Rangers in the first round of the 2005 First-Year Player Draft. He completed his degree in political science from Stanford the following year.