NEW YORK, April 3 (UPI) -- The New York Mets signed outfielder Gary Sheffield Friday, three days after his surprise release by the Detroit Tigers.
The 40-year-old Sheffield played in just 114 of 162 games last season because of shoulder and hip injuries and batted .225 with 19 home runs with 57 RBI.
His agent, Rufus Williams, told MLB.com that it was important to Sheffield to sign with a team where he would get playing time rather than be a designated hitter, a role he played with the Tigers most of the 2008 season.
"You don't show much when you're sitting on the bench," Williams said. "It's important for him to get an opportunity to play."
"This is a guy who has had a great career," Mets' first baseman Carlos Delgado told the New York Daily News. "If he's healthy he's going to be an asset."
Sheffield, a nine-time all-star, is one homer short of 500 in his 21-year major league career.
