Much maligned former bullpen member Jake Diekman, who was recently designated for assignment by the Chicago White Sox, is headed to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays need a relief pitcher after Garrett Cleavinger injured the ACL in his right knee this past weekend and Diekman is their guy.
Details of the deal have not been announced quite yet but it appears the Diekman has found his way back into baseball and will become an important part of the Rays bullpen which has seen a few injuries as of late.
Diekman came to the White Sox last year in a trade with the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox got former White Sox catcher Reese McGuire and relief pitcher Taylor Broadway while the White Sox got Diekman.
Diekman was brought in as a reliever several times during the season and compiled an ERA of 6.52 with a win-loss record of 0-3. He struck out 28 batters in 19 and a third innings of work.
Left-hander Jake Diekman and the Tampa Bay Rays are finalizing a major league deal, sources tell ESPN. Diekman, 36, was DFA’d by the Chicago White Sox and would replace Garrett Cleavinger — who hurt his right ACL on Sunday — in the Rays’ bullpen. Should be done in next 48 hours.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 9, 2023
The Rays have made the following roster moves:
— Rays Communications (@RaysPR) May 10, 2023
Signed LHP Jake Diekman to a major league deal.
Designated RHP Chase Anderson for assignment.
The Chicago White Sox don't have to see Jake Diekman on their team.
He had a very rough start to 2023 and worked his way off the White Sox roster. In the 11.1 innings he pitched, part of the 13 appearances on the mound that he made, he managed to get an earned run average of 7.94. He struck out 11 batters total.
He was let go from the White Sox on the 6th of May.
Chicago’s bullpen has been a sore spot this season and Diekman was a casualty of all of the issues that they have had.
Chicago has a lot of money wrapped up in a non-productive bullpen and they keep losing games because of the bullpen. Getting rid of Diekman was just one more way to try to help figure things out and make things a little more solid. However, it was just a small piece of the puzzle.
A lot more work could be done to help get the bullpen in better shape.
The Rays are in a bit of a bind with their bullpen thanks to injuries. They have lost some quality talent and are needing Diekman to help pick up the slack that’s left over.
They must have seen something in him that made them think that he was worth bringing on board to help their bullpen.
It’s too bad that the White Sox couldn’t have shopped him a bit and been able to make a trade to get some help themselves but no one was probably going to “bite” on trading for Diekman.
He’s not exactly one of the most sought-after relief pitchers on the market but apparently, he fits the bill for the Rays.
We all know that the White Sox need a lot of help to get their bullpen back in order. The bullpen staff needs to be playing so much better than they have been.
They are the direct result of several losses for the White Sox this season. If they don’t improve, the White Sox will continue to lose close games and end up on the outside looking in when the season comes to an end.