New York Mets Cut Ties With Free Agent Bust Reliever

The New York Mets have officially released this relief pitcher, who was signed in the offseason to serve as a high-leverage piece in their bullpen.

Jun 16, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Jake Diekman (30) reacts after leaving the game during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports | John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

It's safe to say that this offseason move didn't work out for the New York Mets.

On Saturday, the team announced that they officially released left-handed relief pitcher Jake Diekman.

Diekman was designated for assignment on Monday, which was just one day before the July 30 trade deadline.

The Mets were unable to trade him and now he will be looking for a new home as a free agent down the stretch of the season.

As rough of a season as Diekman was having, the veteran southpaw recently picked up a crucial save against the New York Yankees in the Subway Series, striking out AL MVP favorite Aaron Judge looking in the process.

However, it was back to the same struggles in his final two appearances with the Mets, allowing three earned runs in two outings against the Atlanta Braves last weekend. At that point, president of baseball operations David Stearns had seen enough and DFA'd Diekman with the deadline looming.

The Mets signed Diekman to a one-year, $4 million deal in the offseason. If he were to reach 58 appearances on the season then a $4 million vesting option would have kicked in for 2025. New York cut ties with him at 43 appearances.

Command had been an issue in the past for the 37-year-old, and this was evident during his time in Queens, as he walked 24 batters in 32 innings to go along with an abysmal 5.63 ERA.

In the first-year of Stearns' tenure as the lead baseball executive for the Mets, he has shown he is not afraid to make adjustments and move on from mistakes. The latest example was Diekman, who was a major disappointment this year.