Mets sign pitcher D.J. Mitchell to minor league deal

In what is hopefully just a depth move, the Mets have signed D.J. Mitchell to a minor league deal, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. The Seattle Mariners designated him for assignment on April 11.

In his four-year minor league career, Mitchell has thrown 590.2 innings to a 3.44 ERA, striking out 426 and walking 226. Mitchell, 26, was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 10th round of the 2008 MLB Draft. He made his major league debut on May 1, 2012, against the Baltimore Orioles. Mitchell threw 4.2 innings for the Yankees last year, allowing two runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out two.

The most notable aspect of Mitchell's major league career up to this point is the fact that he was part of the trade that sent Ichiro Suzuki to the Yankees along with Danny Farquhar. According to FanGraphs, Mitchell throws a fastball which sits in the 87-91 mph range, along with a slider and changeup. Marc Carig of Newsday says the Mets plan to use Mitchell as a starter at Triple-A Las Vegas.