With pitchers and Molinas reporting to Port St. Lucie in 13 days, Mets question #13 is this: who is — as Jerry Manuel might ask — the backup to the backup backstop?

Some notes about the Monday afternoon spring training game between the Mets and Tigers, televised on SNY.

According to Mets.com, the Mets have signed infielder Russ Adams and catcher Dusty Ryan to minor-league contracts.

I liked Adams the first time the Mets signed him, and thought he should’ve been given the chance to take the utility role last spring. Unfortunately, his audition was a facade, as the Mets had already given Alex Cora a guaranteed deal and Omar Minaya pushed Ruben Tejada to the MLB roster in an effort to convince the world that his farm system could produce genuine prospects. Maybe he’ll get a legit shot at a roster spot this coming spring; otherwise, he is the fill-in at AAA when Justin Turner takes over second base for the big club.

Dusty Ryan is a tall (6’4″) backstop with a cannon for an arm but slow feet, so his throws to second aren’t as good as they should be and he’s not very adept at blocking pitches in the dirt. He showed power potential at the lower levels of the minors but hit only .199 in 89 games for AAA Portland last year. Previously a “Top Ten” prospect in the Tigers organization, Detroit considered moving him to the mound before letting him go after the 2009 season. He’s 26 years old, so there’s still an outside chance he can find his stroke again. My guess is that he was signed to add depth at AAA, and that the Mets will stockpile a few more similarly skilled catchers before spring training begins.