The Mets have acquired outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. from the Angels, according to SI.com's Jon Heyman. The Mets will send pitcher Brian Stokes to Anaheim, according to FoxSports.com's Jon Morosi.
Matthews, 35, has two years and $23 million left on his contract, the majority of which will be paid by the Angels, said Heyman. As ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick pointed out via Twitter, Matthews' defense has declined dramatically. He went from ranking first among outfielders in UZR/150 in 2002 to being 109th out of 115 last year. UZR/150 shows the number of runs above or below average a fielder is, per 150 defensive games.
Matthews is a career .258 hitter with 108 home runs and 483 RBIs. Last year, he hit .250 in 103 games for the Angels. He went 0-for-5 with a walk and a run scored in the playoffs.
