BOSTON, MA - MAY 27: Rob Whalen #63 of the Seattle Mariners delivers in the first inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on May 27, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts.
(Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

The New York Mets have signed 25-year-old right-hander Rob Whalen to a minor-league deal ahead of spring training.

With the spring training slate of games arriving in less than a month, the New York Mets have added depth to their pitching staff.

On Monday, the Mets inked a minor-league deal with 25-year-old Rob Whalen. The organization originally drafted the right-hander in the 12th round of the 2012 MLB Draft.

Whalen announced the recent news via his personal Twitter account.

https://twitter.com/RobWhalen38/status/1221877312397942784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1221877312397942784&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sny.tv%2Fmets%2Fnews%2Fmets-sign-former-draft-pick-rhp-robert-whalen%2F312565414

The Mets traded Whalen to the Atlanta Braves organization in 2015, a system in which he spent time in the minors and also received his first major-league appearance.

During the 2016 campaign, Whalen appeared in five major-league games for the Braves, starting in each one of them. Through those starts, he put up a 1-2 record with a 6.57 ERA and a 1.297 WHIP. He additionally struck out 25 batters and walked 12 through 24.2 total innings pitched.

In November of 2016, Atlanta dealt Whalen to the Seattle Mariners. During his time in their system (2016-18), he appeared in three games in the majors (one start). Whalen ultimately finished with a record of 0-1 in the trio of appearances.

If Whalen eventually receives a spot on the Mets’ major-league ballclub, it’s unclear if he would be used as a starter or in relief. At the moment, the Mets have six legitimate starters in the rotation and will likely move one to the bullpen, an aspect of the game they struggled in last year. In 2019, New York’s relievers finished 25th in the league with a combined 4.95 ERA.

Ryan Honey is a staff writer and host of the Wide Right Podcast.