MLB

Yankees sign Mets reliever Feliciano

The Yankees did not have to look far to find the latest addition to their bullpen.

Pedro Feliciano is making the move from Queens to The Bronx after agreeing in principle to a two-year deal with the Yankees, according to a source.

The 34-year-old left-hander agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract with a club option for a third season that would pay him $4.5 million. The deal will become official once Feliciano undergoes a physical, something the Yankees do not view as a mere formality considering the heavy workload the reliever’s left arm has endured since 2006.

Feliciano confirmed the deal to ESPN.com, telling the website: “I think it was a good thing to stay in New York. I mean, that’s the best city in the States.”

For general manager Brian Cashman, landing Feliciano fills another offseason need. The Yankees did not want to enter 2011 with Boone Logan as their only left-handed reliever. Damaso Marte is still under contract, but might miss the entire season after shoulder surgery in October.

The Yankees chose Feliciano over Brian Fuentes, who was asking for a three-year deal worth $15 million, a price they felt was too high for this role. Scott Downs received that exact deal from the Angels.

Besides the price, the Yankees also liked that Feliciano had proven he can succeed in New York and is unafraid of taking the ball in a big spot. Feliciano was a workhorse for the Mets, becoming their most trustworthy reliever. He has appeared in 408 games since 2006, the most in the major leagues. He led the majors in appearances in each of the last three seasons.

Feliciano spent eight seasons as a Met over nine years. Since 2006, Feliciano has the second lowest batting average versus left-handers in the majors, at .209 (minimum 600 plate appearances). Interestingly, Mets flop Oliver Perez has the best at .197.

The Yankees’ need for a reliable lefty in the bullpen became even more pronounced when the Red Sox acquired left-handed hitting Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford this month. Gonzalez is 3-for-15 in his career against Feliciano with no extra-base hits and eight strikeouts. Crawford has only faced Feliciano twice, both groundouts.

This is the second signing the Yankees have made since they were spurned by Cliff Lee this week. They added Russell Martin as their starting catcher on Wednesday.

One player the Yankees had interest in came off the market yesterday when infielder Bill Hall, the Red Sox’s primary second baseman last season after Dustin Pedroia was lost to injury, signed with the Astros. The Yankees were looking at him to fill a utility role.

Foxsports.com reported the Yankees have asked the Astros about Jeff Keppinger, who can play all four infield positions and has played five career games in the outfield.

brian.costello@nypost.com