New York Mets sign veteran Japanese lefthander Hisanori Takahashi

The Mets round out their squad as spring training is about to get under way, signing veteran Japanese lefthander Hisanori Takahashi, 1B Mike Jacobs and C Shawn Riggans to minor league contracts. Takahashi, unrelated to Ken Takahashi who pitched for New York last year, was 10-6 with a 2.94 ERA with the Yomiuri Giants in 2009; he joins Ryota Igarashi, who was signed earlier this off-season, on the Mets’ pitching staff.