The San Diego Padres signed All-Star catcher Mike Piazza to a one-year deal on Sunday reportedly worth $2 million. Piazza, 37, belted 19 homers and 62 RBIs along with a .251 batting average in 398 at-bats with the New York Mets last season. The 12-time all-star holds the major league record for most career home runs by a catcher with 374. The deal also includes a mutual option for 2007 at $8 million. Breaking Down The Deal After losing catcher Ramon Hernandez to the Baltimore Orioles via free agency, Padres GM Kevin Towers was forced to find a replacement. Mike Piazza still possesses some power and can block the ball well behind the plate. The 37-year-old catcher, however, has been slowed by injuries the past three years and has long had trouble throwing runners out. The American League would definitely be the better option for Piazza to receive more at-bats as a DH. But Piazza brings a nice veteran presence to the Padres clubhouse and is able to instill fear into the minds of opposing pitchers. The switch to pitcher-friendly Petco Park will definitely hurt the future Hall of Famer?s numbers next season. Piazza is likely to catch anywhere from 90-110 games in 2006. I expect the veteran backstop to hit around .250 with 10-15 homers. My Grade: C Impact Grade: 2 of 5 Do you have a question, concern, or comment? ? Feel free to email me at [email protected] ? Forecast 06: coming in March