Recent NY Mets free agent bust resurfaces for a heartwarming homecoming

David Stearns is known for his scrapheap pickups turning a lot more than temporary solutions to more permanent problems. In year one for the New York Mets, he had plenty of successes. However, he also had a few failures.

One of those moves that didn’t quite work out the way he planned was the free agent signing of Jake Diekman. The veteran lefty seemed to reinvent himself in the latter half of 2023 with the Tampa Bay Rays. Stearns saw enough to make him an offer with a vesting option for a second year in New York. A lack of control that grew midsummer and began to include some big home runs led to the team DFA’ing him before they got to the trade deadline.

Diekman’s Mets departure included a -0.8 WAR, 5.63 ERA, 32 innings in only 43 games, and a whopping 6.8 walks per 9. He went unsigned for the remainder of 2024, signing a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves that turned into a roster cut before Opening Day. Diekman has been lingering unsigned ever since, but he’ll suit up for the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association next.

Former Mets pitcher Jake Diekman is a Saltdog for some heartwarming reasons

Why even pitch again? At 38, Diekman could walk off into the sunset, call it quits, and start the next chapter of his life. Real estate? It seems to be what every retired athlete does.

Well, rather than move onto the next chapter of his life, Diekman wants to return home to Nebraska to pitch in front of some people who haven’t had a chance to see him live in a while. In addition to that, he wants to share wisdom for some younger players.

Most players who don’t last the season end on a sour note. Diekman is no exception. We never really got to know him all too well, a common occurrence with relievers in general. Blending in with a bullpen that was a work in progress for much of the first three months of last season, it’s almost easy to forget he was ever there. After all, only a month after things turned around for the Mets, he was gone.

It’s a heartwarming homecoming for Diekman who seems to have a mini-farewell tour in mind. Sharing what he knows with other players is admirable.

Wymore, Nebraska, where Diekman is from, has a population of less than 1,500 people. Vibes of the Jim Morris story but with a long big league career before the hometown return, we hope this finale to Diekman’s career is as rewarding as he wants it to be.