Omar Quintanilla signs minor league contract with Mets

Omar Quintanilla, who played in 29 games for the New York Mets last year, signed with the Metropolitans on a minor-league contract Saturday, and will be invited to the team's spring training in February, the team announced Saturday.

Quintanilla, 31, is a middle infielder who spent the first five years of his career with the Colorado Rockies before being out of the majors in 2010. He's a career .220 hitter with a .279 on base percentage. He hit just one home run for the Mets last year before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles, where he hit three home runs in 36 games.

Quintanilla's main value lies in the fact that he can play shortstop and second base. The Mets have a track record of players being injured at those positions, and he provides valuable insurance in case that happens again. Ruben Tejada at short and Daniel Murphy at second base are pretty locked in at their positions, with Justin Turner as their backup.