NEW YORK — Hoping they’ve found their setup man on the other side of the globe, the New York Mets have agreed to a $3 million, two-year contract with Japanese reliever Ryota Igarashi.

The 30-year-old right-hander becomes the first major addition this offseason for the Mets following a 70-92 debacle that left them fourth in the NL East.
The deal was completed Thursday, and the Mets think Igarashi could fill the role of eighth-inning setup man for All-Star closer Francisco Rodriguez.
Igarashi was 47-29 with a 3.25 ERA and 54 saves for the Yakult Swallows in the Japanese Central League from 1999-09. He had 630 strikeouts in 570 innings.
Igarashi gets $1.25 million next season and $1.75 million in 2011. He can earn an additional $500,000 in performance bonuses over two years.