With a plethora of middle infielders already on the 40-man roster, the New York Mets aquired slick-fielding shortstop/second baseman Chin-lung Hu from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for minor league pitcher Michael Antonini.

Hu, 26, has a lifetime batting average of .299 over eight seasons within the Dodgers minor league system.

Signed as a free agent by the Dodgers back in 2003, Hu made his big league debut in 2007 and is hitting .191 (33 for 173) in 96 games over four seasons.

In two stints with Triple-A Alburquerque in 2010, Hu hit .317 with four home runs. Last season the Taiwan native had 23 plate appearances for the Dodgers and batted .130 during his call-up to the majors.

In 2007, Hu was named MVP of the Futures Game.

The Mets now have seven middle infielders on their 40-man roster which include Hu,

Jose Reyes, Luis Castillo, Miguel Tejada, Luis Hernandez, Justin Turner and Brad Emaus.

Antonini, 25, has struggled in the Mets farm system over the last two years. Last year, the lefty posted a 6-9 record with a 4.32 ERA in 23 starts for Double-A Binghamton. In six starts for Triple-A Buffalo, Antonini had a 2-3 record with a 5.11 ERA.