Mike Nickeas will have competition in spring training to be the Mets’ backup catcher.

On Thursday, the club announced the signing of catcher Rob Johnson to a minor league contract, extending him an invite to major league spring training. Johnson, 28, played 67 games for the Padres last season, batting .190 with three homers and 16 RBIs.

The Mets had earlier interest in Padres castoff Luis Martinez – who was designated for assignment last weekend – but that was before Texas traded for Martinez on Wednesday.

Johnson has a reputation for handling pitchers. Last year his 3.26 catchers ERA was the fifth-best mark among all major leaguers with at least 50 starts behind the plate.

Johnson is a career .197 hitter with eight home runs and 58 RBIs over five seasons with the Mariners and Padres.

The Mets had discussed bigger-name backup options such as Ivan Rodriguez and Jason Varitek at the Winter Meetings, but the combination of price tag and concerns in Varitek’s case about still handling the grind of catching, ultimately steered the team in a different direction.

mpuma@nypost.com