NEW YORK — Free-agent first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and the New York Mets reached agreement on a one-year contract.

Gonzalez, 35, needs to pass a physical to complete the deal. He was limited to 71 games last season because of a herniated disk in his back and was left off the Los Angeles Dodgers’ postseason roster.

Adrian Gonzalez will be hoping to make the New York Mets' roster in the spring, then go on to a comeback season after hitting just .242 last year with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Associated Press/Ross D. Franklin

Gonzalez is a five-time All-Star, hitting .288 with 311 career home runs. He batted just .242 last season and was traded to Atlanta in December. The Braves released him shortly after the deal.

Gonzalez is owed more than $21 million next season, but the Mets would be responsible for just $545,000 if he makes the team. New York tried rookie Dominic Smith at first base late last season, but he hit .198.

YANKEES: As the Astros made a major trade to improve a rotation that won the World Series, the pitcher they beat in Game 7 remains a hot topic among clubs shopping for starters.

Houston acquired right-hander Gerrit Cole, previously a trade target for the Yankees, from the Pirates on Saturday. That left the Yankees one fewer competitor in the chase to land Yu Darvish.

The Astros will send four players to the Pirates, according to multiple reports: right-handers Joe Musgrove and Michael Feliz, third baseman Colin Moran and outfielder Jason Martin.

Meanwhile, last impressions apparently aren’t lasting impressions in the case of Darvish. The right-hander is in demand despite his poor performance in the World Series, especially Game 7. He allowed five runs (four earned) in 1-2/3 innings and never allowed the Dodgers to get into the game.

Darvish allowed nine runs (eight earned) and nine hits in 3-1/3 innings in two World Series starts, and was 0-2 with a 21.60 ERA. A lengthy story in Sports Illustrated later indicated he had been tipping his pitches.

Suitors apparently believe that’s a minor problem that can be fixed. Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman, appearing on WFAN last week, called Darvish “a unique talent and premier starting pitcher in the marketplace.”

Darvish has been on Twitter (@faridyu) during the past week and tacitly acknowledged published reports that said the Yankees, Astros, Twins, Cubs and Rangers expressed interest in him. “I know one more team is in,” he tweeted.

When a Yankees fan went on the social media site to implore Darvish to sign in the Bronx, Darvish replied, in English, “They don’t give me offer yet.” In an apparent reference to a statement by Michael Kay on his ESPN radio show that the Yankees proposed a contract for $160 million over seven years, he later added, “Sorry guys. My mistake. Actually they did make offer but the numbers are not correct.”

Cashman said on the radio show that he spoke to Darvish’s representative but didn’t say he had made an offer.

The Yankees reportedly had shown interest in trading for Cole, 27, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 draft, who will join a rotation that includes former Cy Young Award winners Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander. Cole went 12-12 with a 4.26 ERA last season.

PADRES: The team announced a three-year, $19.75 million extension for reliever Brad Hand.

The contract includes a club option for 2021, reportedly worth $10 million with a $1 million buyout. Hand made $1.375 million last season, when the left-hander was arbitration-eligible for the first time.

“The Padres gave me an opportunity and they saw something in me two years ago, which I’m very grateful for,” Hand said Saturday as his contract was being finalized. “I kind of ran with it these past two years.”

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