Although the MLB trade deadline is less than 48 hours away, the Boston Red Sox don’t need to rely solely on striking a deal with a suitor in order to add depth.
The front office kicked off its efforts to improve the pitching staff, first by adding James Paxton from the Los Angeles Dodgers and then by acquiring Quinn Priester from the Pittsburgh Pirates. But after a sudden roster move that took place in the National League, perhaps the door has opened for yet another pitching reunion in Boston, this time involving reliever Jake Diekman.
Diekman, 37, was designated for assignment Monday by the New York Mets, per a team-provided announcement. The left-handed veteran of 13 seasons made 43 appearances out of the bullpen in New York this season, pitching to a 5.63 ERA while striking out 40 batters in 32 innings of relief. Diekman had signed a one-year, $4 million deal in the offseason with the Mets, but as the third-place organization looks to reshape its bullpen, the once-Red Sox is up for grabs as Boston seeks bullpen help.
“It wasn’t an easy one,” Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza said, per Alex Smith of SNY. “He was such a professional. He was always willing to take the baseball, and when it was hard for him, he was always available and always wanted to be there. But we got to a point where we needed to make a decision and we decided to go that route.”
The most glaring issue, which was likely the straw that broke the camel’s back in New York, was Diekman’s battle with giving runners free passes. He walked 24 hitters, which marked a 6.8 walks per nine innings rate with the Mets. Diekman has also undergone a notable cold skit throughout the month of July, recording a 10.80 ERA — his worst of any month this season — in nine appearances (6 2/3 innings pitched). However, the silver lining is Diekman’s ability to hold left-handed hitters to a .157 batting average in 2024, which could bring value to any big-league bullpen.
Boston, specifically, needs to consider every and all options to improve its bullpen. During the team’s most recent weekend series against the New York Yankees, the Red Sox slipped up and squandered a picture-perfect chance to regain some ground in the American League East standings as Boston’s bullpen allowed a total of 12 earned runs. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and the rest of the front office remain on the clock to supplement this team’s young and hungry roster in any way possible to earn a playoff position.
