Red Sox are reportedly signing lefty reliever Jake Diekman
"This is such a solid signing for the Sox, kid."
It appears the Red Sox are prioritizing improving their bullpen during the early stages of free agency.
After reportedly agreeing to a deal with lefty Matt Strahm, they also reportedly did the same with lefty Jake Diekman.
Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com first reported the news Sunday afternoon and said it’s believed to be a multi-year deal. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic said the Red Sox are “strongly in mix” for Diekman.
Diekman, 35, has a 3.73 career ERA over the course of a relatively consistent 10-year career. He’s played with the Phillies, Rangers, Diamondbacks, Royals, and, most recently, the Athletics.
The 6-foot-4, 195-pound southpaw finished the 2021 season in Oakland 3-3 with a 3.86 ERA in 67 appearances. He’s never made a start throughout his career.
Diekman pitched 82 innings in 2020 and 2021 and had a 139 ERA+ and 33 percent strikeout rate. According to Codify Baseball, the only others to hit those marks during that span are Jacob DeGrom, Trevor Bauer, Corbin Burnes, Liam Hendriks, Shane Bieber, Raisel Iglesias, Max Scherzer, and Freddy Peralta.
Former Red Sox infielder and current MLB analyst Will Middlebrooks quote-tweeted that tweet and said Diekman would look great in a Red Sox uniform.
The next day, Middlebrooks’ vision became a reality.
“I could feel it in my bones… even the ones that have metal rods and screws in ‘em,” Middlebrooks wrote. “This is such a solid signing for the Sox, kid.”
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