The Mets have signed right-handed pitcher Erasmo Ramirez to a minor league deal, reports Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.

As a player not on the 40-man roster, Ramirez will receive a non-roster invitation to spring training.

Ramirez, 29, spent most of the 2019 season in Triple-A, where he had a 4.74 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in 124.1 IP (24 starts, three relief appearances).

In 3.0 innings (one relief appearance) for the Red Sox last season, Ramirez allowed four runs on four hits (including two homers).

Ramirez made his big league debut in 2012 and had a solid stretch in the majors from 2015 to 2017, when he posted a 3.97 ERA and 1.18 WHIP while striking out 298 batters in 385.1 IP as he bounced between the starting rotation and bullpen.

For the Mets, Ramirez will almost certainly open the season with Triple-A Syracuse and be a big league starting pitching option during the season should the team deal with a combination of injuries and ineffectiveness.

As things currently stand, the Mets have six starting pitchers for five spots: Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Marcus Stroman, Steven Matz, Rick Porcello, and Michael Wacha.

With Wacha having incentives in his contract that revolve around appearances out of the bullpen, it's logical to believe he and Matz are the likeliest options to shift to the 'pen.

Beyond the above starting rotation options, the Mets have other depth options such as David Peterson, Walker Lockett, and Corey Oswalt, who will all likely open the season in Triple-A.

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