Boston Red Sox Free Agent Grades: 2 solid bullpen arms added

Boston Red Sox free agent signing No. 1: Jake Diekman

The Sox quickly followed up the addition of Strahm with another left handed reliever in Jake Diekman. Terms of the deal were not immediately reported, although it is known to be a multi-year deal. One can reasonably assume Diekman is probably going to make a similar total to Strahm, although he will probably earn a bit more.

Diekman has bounced all over the league (this will be his sixth team in his now 11 year career), but he has been regarded as one of the better left handed relievers in the league during this time. He won’t have numbers that consistently pop off the page, but he’s about as reliable as they come. He’s coming off a pretty solid 2021 campaign, where he finished with a 3.86 ERA and 83 strikeouts over 67 appearences.

Whereas Strahm is a bit more unpredictable per se, Diekman is way more consistent. He will immediately slot into a middle-to-late innings role, and his dependability gives manager Alex Cora another option to use at the backend of the bullpen. Diekman is a perfect fit towards the back of the bullpen, and should be a valuable piece throughout the season.

The lack of full details make it a bit tough to grade the deal, but assuming the Sox didn’t pay an outrageous fee for his services, there’s not too much to dislike about this deal. From what we know, he probably got a two year deal within the $6-8 million dollar range, which is extremely reasonable. Anything above $5 million per year though is a bit out of hand, though still not necessarily a bad deal.

FINAL GRADE: A-

Assuming Chaim Bloom didn’t just hand away an unruly amount of money, this is a great signing for the Boston Red Sox. Diekman is a great pickup who can be counted on to deliver when called upon, and he’s a left hander on top of that. While Diekman and Strahm are both pretty solid pickups, the Sox still could use some bullpen help, so don’t be surprised if this isn’t the last move at this position.