gary matthews jr

Mets Acquire Gary Matthews Jr. From Angels

Uncertain when Carlos Beltran will be ready to play in 2010, the Mets have now acquired a backup — good-fielding, modest-hitting Gary Matthews Jr. of the Los Angeles Angels.

The Angels signed Matthews to a five-year, $50 million contract after the 2006 season, and it quickly came to be seen as one of the worst contracts in baseball because of Matthews’s limitations as a hitter. He is owed $23 million over the final two years of his deal, and the Angels are expected to pick up most of the cost, making him a relatively inexpensive acquisition for the Mets.

The deal, in which the Mets are expected to surrender a relief pitcher, is expected to be made official later Friday. It was confirmed by a baseball executive who did not want to speak publicly until the deal was announced.

Last season Matthews played in 103 games, had 316 at-bats, and hit .250, with 4 home runs and 50 runs batted in. As a Met, he is capable of playing center field in place of Beltran, although it is possible that the Mets will use him as a fourth outfielder, playing behind Jason Bay, Jeff Francouer and Angel Pagan, who had a good season offensively in 2009 and presumably is the first choice to play in center until Beltran returns.

But Pagan has been injury-prone as a Met. If he gets injured, Matthews will be there to step in.

As for Beltran, he is expected to return to the lineup at some point in May.