Mets agree to terms with Japanese lefty Takahashi

The Mets bypassed a number of free agents this offseason in their search for rotation depth before settling Thursday on lefthander Hisanori Takahashi, a 10-year starter in Japan who has yet to throw a pitch in the majors.

The team has agreed to terms with Takahashi on a minor-league deal worth $1 million that could pay him an additional $2 million in performance bonuses. It is an investment far less than Randy Wolf's $29-million deal or Joel Piñeiro's $16-million contract, but the Mets hope Takahashi can fortify the back end of the rotation.

With pitchers and catchers scheduled to report Thursday, the job of fifth starter appears to be up for grabs, with Fernando Nieve holding a slim edge over Pat Misch, Nelson Figueroa and Jon Niese. But that was before the acquisition of Takahashi, who was 10-6 with a 2.94 ERA in 25 starts for the Yomiuri Giants last season.

Takahashi, 34, is a finesse lefthander described by one scout as a Jamie Moyer-type, relying more on guile than velocity. The Mets were attracted to his relatively clean bill of health and a bulldog mentality that helped him perform under the spotlight that comes with pitching for Japan's most popular team.

"He doesn't have a plus pitch, so he's got to have good command," a competing team's Pacific Rim scout said. "His best pitch is a changeup - he calls it a screwball. He's a lot more competitive than Ken Takahashi . He's got a quality game face."

Takahashi is the second Japanese pitcher to sign with the Mets this offseason. Reliever Ryota Igarashi will be slotted in a setup role.

Notes & quotes: The Mets signed catcher Shawn Riggans, 29, to a minor-league deal. He played only seven games for the Rays last season because of shoulder tendinitis and was behind the plate for 64 games the past three seasons.With Ken Davidoff