Report: Mets Are “Close” to Deal With a Lefty Reliever.

The San Diego Padres had reliever Wandy Peralta, and the New York Mets now have their eye on left-handed reliever Jake Diekman. Will Sammon of The Athletic reports that the Mets and Diekman are “close to an agreement.” Andy Martino of SNY notes that while “the sides are not in agreement pending physical at this time,” there is “optimism” about a deal moving forward shortly.

Diekman, 37, has also played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays. The Mets will be his seventh MLB franchise.

Diekman recorded his highest ERA since 2017 in the 2023 regular season split between the White Sox and Rays, with 64 strikeouts in 56.2 innings with a 3.34 ERA and 1.32 WHIP (not including the abbreviated 2020 season). After joining the Rays in May, his numbers rapidly improved; in 45.1 innings in Tampa Bay, he recorded a 2.18 ERA and 1.13 WHIP, compared to a dismal 7.94 ERA and 2.12 WHIP to begin the season in Chicago.

Diekman pitched for the Rays in many high-leverage innings throughout the regular season. In his one playoff appearance in 2023, he had a perfect 0.00 ERA with two strikeouts.

Diekman’s Estimated Contract Worth

According to Martino’s story on February 1, the Mets made Diekman an offer that was comparable to what they had given to Peralta earlier in the week, involving a one-year contract plus a vesting option.

Peralta accepted a four-year, $16.5 million contract with the Padres instead of accepting the team’s offer of a two-year contract with a club option with a total guarantee in the $8–10 million range, according to Martino. Diekman will receive a guaranteed value of $4–$5 million for the 2024 season, which is a significant rise above the $720K, one-year agreement he signed with the Rays in 2023.

The penultimate inning of the Mets

It goes without saying that the Mets must strengthen their bullpen before 2024.

The Mets’ bullpen finished 22nd in MLB in 2023 with a dismal 4.45 ERA, and even though they were connected to many free agency relievers, they haven’t made any significant progress this winter that would change the course of games. Adam Ottavino declined the option on his contract at the conclusion and was re-signed by New York on January 27 for a one-year, $4.5 million deal. Despite leading the Mets’ relievers in strikeouts in 2023, Ottavino’s return only leaves the team in the same situation as it was the previous season.

After missing out on Peralta, Diekman’s addition is an inexpensive way to start making changes in the bullpen. Despite a very rocky start in Chicago, Diekman is coming off one of his finest seasons ever, and the Mets will be getting a steal if he can maintain the momentum he gained in Tampa Bay.

With their season ending in such disappointment the previous year, the Mets will have a lot to show in 2024. The team signed three starting pitchers this winter: Adrian Houser, Sean Manaea, and Luis Severino. The logical next step before Opening Day is to give relievers priority.

Maybe there will be a resurgence in New York soon.