Mets sign veteran Abreu to Minors deal

NEW YORK -- The Mets inked a big name to a small deal on Monday, signing veteran outfielder Bobby Abreu to a Minor League contract.

The Phillies cut Abreu, 40, last week after he hit .244 with no home runs in 41 Grapefruit League plate appearances. He did walk 10 times, however, and finished with a .404 on-base percentage.

In Las Vegas, Abreu offers the Mets inexpensive insurance behind the top four outfielders on their organizational depth chart: Curtis Granderson, Chris Young, Juan Lagares and Eric Young Jr. A 17-year veteran of the Astros, Phillies, Yankees, Angels and Dodgers, Abreu is best known as a patient hitter who made two All-Star teams in Philadelphia.

The left-handed-hitting Abreu last played in the Majors in 2012, hitting .246 with a .361 on-base percentage in 230 plate appearances for the Dodgers. He does have a prominent Mets connection, hitting .322 with three home runs in 50 games for the Caracas Lions of Venezuela's winter ball league. Hitting coach Dave Hudgens managed that team, and the Mets nearly signed Abreu over the winter before the Phillies scooped him up on a Minor League deal.