SAN JUAN, P.R. -- The New York Mets have signed former major league catcher Michael Barrett to a minor league contract, a club official confirmed on Tuesday.
Barrett, 33, has not played since 2009, when he went into the season as Rod Barajas' backup with the Toronto Blue Jays before injuries cut short his season. He will report to the Mets' Class A team at Port St. Lucie, Fla., and after a few weeks he's expected to move up to Triple-A Buffalo. If Barrett can play, the move will give the Mets additional security, as Barajas and Henry Blanco have both battled injuries at the major league level.
During his 12-year career with the Montreal Expos, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Blue Jays, Barrett batted .263 with 98 homers and 424 runs batted in. The fiery Barrett is probably most famous for brawling with A.J. Pierzynski of the Chicago White Sox in 2006 and with his Cubs teammate, Carlos Zambrano, in 2007.
"Some of the things that happened are a circumstance of the way baseball is, and what kind of competitor I am," Barrett said after the Cubs traded him to the Padres. "I play on the edge, a lot."
Adam Rubin covers the Mets for ESPNNewYork.com. You can follow him on Twitter.