The Mets have their new catcher.
According to a source close to the situation, Yorvit Torrealba has agreed to a contract with the club worth $14.4 million over three years.
A Rockies spokesman confirmed that Colorado’s negotiations to retain the 29-year-old have ended and that he’s headed to the Mets.
Torrealba, who hit .255 with eight homers and 47 RBIs last season, will replace Paul Lo Duca, who can officially turn his attention elsewhere. The Mets also are close to re-signing backup Ramon Castro, who could see increased playing time as part of a platoon.
The Torrealba agreement comes after the Mets missed in their attempt to land Jorge Posada, who re-signed with the Yankees before general manager Omar Minaya could make his pitch.
Minaya yesterday told reporters he had a Plan A, B and C for the catching position. He evidently got his second choice.
Torrealba is a career .251 hitter over seven seasons with the Giants, Mariners and Rockies. The Venezuelan never played more than 66 games until this season, when he appeared in 113.
He went 2-for-14 with an RBI in the World Series, where the Rockies were swept by the Red Sox. He batted .320 (8-for-25) with a home run and seven RBIs in the first two playoff rounds.
Torrealba moved to the forefront after Posada returned to the Yankees on Monday.
“I wasn’t surprised, I thought [Posada] was going to be a long shot [for the Mets],” Minaya said. “We kept an eye on it and were surprised it went down to the last day, but we never got an opportunity to make an offer. We had to at least keep on eye on it.”
Posada agreed to a four-year deal worth $52 million just as the Yankees’ exclusive window to negotiate with their free agents was about to close.