MLB

Manuel not set to offer catching job to veteran

PORT ST. LUCIE — Rod Barajas received his Mets uniform yesterday, but will have to wait for assurance he will be the team’s starting catcher.

Though no catcher in camp has a resume comparable with Barajas’, that isn’t stopping manager Jerry Manuel from declaring an open competition for the starting job.

“I am not going to anoint that particular spot,” Manuel said after yesterday’s workouts.

METS WON’T RUSH ESCOBAR

Part of that thinking might relate to Manuel’s admission he knows little about the 34-year-old Barajas, who spent most of the last six seasons in the American League. Part of the thinking also might be Manuel wanting to motivate the other catchers in camp behind the projected 1-2 combo of Barajas and Henry Blanco. It’s a list composed of Josh Thole, Omir Santos, Chris Conte and Shawn Riggans.

Barajas, who signed a one-year contract that could pay him $2 million including incentives, said he is just glad to get rolling after a miserable few weeks in which he started to wonder if he would find work.

“Going into this offseason if you told me I wouldn’t have signed until camp already started, I would have said you’re crazy, but it was a little nerve-racking,” said Barajas, who hit 19 homers and drove in 71 runs for the Blue Jays last year.

In the end, the Mets and Rangers had interest. Barajas said the opportunity to play every day is what pushed him toward the Mets. He is guaranteed $500,000 and will earn another $400,000 for making the Opening Day roster. The remaining $1.1 million is based on incentives.

The Mets originally set sights on Bengie Molina this winter, but the two sides never reached agreement. Molina re-signed with the Giants last month, leaving Barajas as the best remaining free-agent option at catcher in a lean market.

Thole and Santos are expected to begin the season at Triple-A Buffalo. That plan would allow the organization to groom Thole for 2011 while having Santos on standby should an injury occur to Barajas or Blanco. If the 23-year-old Thole were to have a breakout spring, it could leave the Mets with a tough decision.

Barajas is just a .238 hitter over 11 seasons, but is regarded as a solid defensive catcher with power. Last season, he threw out a respectable 34 percent (27-of-80) runners attempting to steal against him.

Barajas said the Mets, on paper, were as good as any team in the National League last season until injuries decimated the lineup.

“The way I look at it, just about everybody is back here again and everybody is healthy,” Barajas said. “So I feel like this is a good chance to be on a team where I can play quite a bit and also win.”

Barajas will go from catching Roy Halladay with the Blue Jays to Johan Santana on the Mets. Halladay has since been traded to the Phillies, making for an intriguing NL East storyline. Which pitcher is better?

“Just saying those two names, you can’t go wrong with either one of them,” Barajas said. “I had the luxury of catching [Halladay] for two years and he was unbelievable. He was prepared, not just mentally, but physically.

“I haven’t been around Johan,” he added. “I get to catch him a little bit here in camp, and about five or six months you can ask that question again.”

mpuma@nypost.com