Daisuke Matsuzaka Signs Minor League Contract With New York Mets

NEW YORK — Daisuke Matsuzaka is staying with the New York Mets.

The 33-year-old right-hander agreed Friday to a minor league contract and was invited to big league spring training camp next month.

Matsuzaka was 3-3 with a 4.42 ERA for the Mets last year after going 5-8 with a 3.92 ERA in 19 starts for Cleveland’s Triple-A team at Columbus.

He has a 53-40 record with a 4.52 ERA in the major leagues, going 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 2008, his second season with Boston. The Red Sox signed him to a $52 million, six-year contract before the 2007 season and paid slightly more than $51.1 million to buy his rights from the Seibu Lions of Japan’s Pacific League.