Atlanta Braves Add Pair of Veteran Relievers on Minor League Deals, Invite Them to Spring Training

Well-traveled Jake Diekman and Dylan Covey will try to catch on with Braves.

New York Mets relief pitcher Jake Diekman (30) pitches against the New York Yankees in July 2024 during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves added two more pitchers on minor league deals and gave them invitations to spring training in North Port, Florida.

Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Tuesday that the Braves agreed to terms with left-handed reliever Jake Diekman and right-hander Dylan Covey. They previously added righty Chad Kuhl on a similar deal.

Chad Kuhl, Jake Diekman and Dylan Covey are in camp as non-roster invitees — now official and happened after Braves announced NRIs.

— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) February 11, 2025

Diekman, 38, is a well-traveled veteran who made his major league debut in May 2012. Since then, he’s pitched for nine teams: the Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and New York Mets.

A career reliever, he’s pitched in 705 games without a start, compiling a 27-34 record, 3.91 ERA and 19 saves over 602.1 innings. He has 764 career strikeouts.

With the Mets last season, Diekman appeared in 43 games, finishing 2-3 with a 5.63 ERA and four saves in 32 innings.

Covey, 33, hasn’t had the consistent career of Diekman. Instead, Covey has bounced around the minors and majors and also spent two seasons in China.

He broke into the majors in 2017 with the White Sox and spent three seasons there before signing with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent in 2020. He moved on to the Chinese Professional Baseball League the next two seasons, then returned to the United States in 2023, splitting the season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Phillies.

In 2024, he played in the Philadelphia minor league system, compiling an 0-2 record, a 2.66 ERA and three saves in 18 relief outings.

The Braves enter spring training with 22 pitchers on their 40-man roster.

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