NEW YORK, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Injury-plagued infielder John Valentin again will be a teammate of Mo Vaughn, this time with the New York Mets.
The Mets signed Valentin to a minor league contract Wednesday and invited him to spring training.
The 35-year-old Valentin appeared in only 20 games for the Boston Red Sox last season before landing on the disabled list on June 7 with season-ending plantar fasciaitis in his right heel. He went 12-for-60 with a homer and five RBI.
"We have watched John work and he's healthy," Mets general manager Steve Phillips said. "He is a righthanded bat who adds another dimension to our bench."
Valentin played with Vaughn as both a collegian at Seton Hall and with the Red Sox. Last month, the Mets acquired Vaughn in a trade with the Anaheim Angels.
Valentin has dealt with a number of injuries throughout his big league career, which began in 1992. He belted a career-best 27 homers with 102 RBI in 1995 and hit .306 in 1997, when he was second on the Red Sox with 156 hits.
