The St. Louis Cardinals have released pitcher Kyle McClellan and signed veteran catcher Rob Johnson to a minor-league deal for next year, the team announced Tuesday.

Johnson, 30, has a .201 career batting average for the New York Mets, San Diego and Seattle dating back to 2007. He hit .250 in 17 games for the Mets last season.

He will be invited to spring training as a non-roster invitee, and expected to compete for a backup role to Yadier Molina.

McClellan, a St. Louis native, was 0-1 with a 5.30 ERA in 16 games for the Cardinals last season before experiencing elbow and shoulder injuries before undergoing surgery in July. He is 19-23 with a 3.69 ERA in 261 games for the Cardinals dating back to 2008.

His best season was 2011, when he went 12-7 with a 4.19 ERA in 43 games, 17 of them as a starter after Adam Wainwright was hurt in spring training.