With Garrett Cleavinger‘s knee injury now expected to be season-ending, the Tampa Bay Rays look to be close to adding another arm to try and shore up a bullpen that has seen plenty of different arrangements.
Jeff Passan of ESPN is reporting that the Rays are in negotiations with now former Chicago White Sox left-hander Jake Diekman on a deal that would bring the reliever to the American League East leaders.
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
Diekman, who is 0-1 with a 7.93 earned run average this year, was designated for assignment by the White Sox last week. He has allowed 14 runs, ten earned on 11 hits in 11 1/3 innings. The 36-year-old signed to a two-year contract in 2022 with the Boston Red Sox that would pay him $3.5 million this year and has a $4 million option for 2024 with a $1 million buyout.
Chicago requested unconditional release waivers on the left-hander last week, and gave him his release on Saturday, so Tampa Bay would only be responsible for the pro-rated portion of the major league minimum this year.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
