According to a report by Justin Toscano of the AJC, Jake Diekman, another experienced left-handed reliever, has joined the Atlanta Braves on a minor league contract and been invited to spring training. Toscano also said that when the Braves pitchers and catchers work out for the first time tomorrow, Chad Kuhl, who was signed last week, and Dylan Covey will be in camp.
Diekman will now try to make Atlanta the ninth franchise with whom he has appeared. Diekman has made 705 appearances in major league games, all as a reliever. He struck out 11.3 hitters per nine innings, which is consistent with his career average, despite having a difficult season in 43 games with the New York Mets. In addition, his four-seam fastball velocity decreased, and he walked 6.75 batters per nine innings, which was somewhat more than his career average.
The 38-year-old will attempt to establish himself as the Braves bullpen’s third left-handed pitcher, behind Dylan Lee and Aaron Bummer. Another possible bullpen option for Atlanta is lefty Angel Perdomo, who missed the 2024 season due to injury but is now back. Last month, the Braves also inked Chasen Shreve, another experienced left-handed reliever, to a minor league contract.
With 100 major league games under his belt, Covey is another seasoned big league pitcher Atlanta has acquired to its organizational depth. Additionally, he has made 46 career starts, primarily in the early years of his career with the Chicago White Sox, where he did not perform to his full potential.
As a pitcher with a wealth of starting experience, Kuhl will also try to provide Atlanta organizational depth. He has made 117 starts in 174 big league games in his career, including 27 with the Colorado Rockies in 2022. Last season, the 32-year-old right-hander made 31 appearances for the White Sox, including one start.
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