Philadelphia Phillies reunion with this lefty is a good idea

The Jake Diekman era coming out of the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen wasn’t the greatest of times. The team around him wasn’t very good. And in mid-2015, he was traded along with Cole Hamels to the Texas Rangers.

Diekman left Philadelphia with a 3.84 ERA in 173.1 innings of work in his three and a half seasons with the ball club. He would lower his ERA to a lifetime 3.73 over the next few seasons, bouncing around from one major league team to another.

A free agent this offseason, the 35-year-old lefty is coming off of a successful stint with the Oakland Athletics dating back to mid-2019 where he was 6-4 with a 3.25 ERA in 102.1 innings. Desperate as they are, the Phillies should look at a reunion with Mr. Diekman.

The Philadelphia Phillies bullpen could use a guy like Jake Diekman in it.

Diekman was a 30th round draft pick by the Phillies in 2007. The fact that he even made the major leagues is impressive. All of these years later, to still be hanging around and pitching quite well, puts him in a different kind of class.

Everyone knows the Phillies could use a boost in their bullpen. The current group expected to open the season with the club is made up of mostly younger guys under 30. Lefty Jose Alvarado is at the top of the charts among their left-handed options. After witnessing his performance, it’s clear the team needs to consider other options.

Bailey Falter is another lefty who could grow into a bigger role. Considering his 5.61 ERA last year, it would be good for the Phillies to have an alternative option.

Although he is a southpaw, Diekman has performed better in his career versus right-handed batters. They’ve hit .212/.323/.344 against him in 1250 plate appearances. Meanwhile, lefties own a .232/.342/.310 slash line against him in their 755 chances. With the three-batter minimum rule in place, the purpose of a lefty has changed. It’s no longer to dominate left-handed batters as much as it is to give hitters a different look or embarrass the hitters who actually do struggle versus same-handed pitchers.

I’ll be curious to see what the Phillies’ strategy with the bullpen is before the season begins. Throwing whatever they can at the wall and seeing what sticks is better than nothing at all.

Diekman shouldn’t cost a whole lot either. If the Philadelphia Phillies are serious about winning, he’s a name to explore.