The Mets made the bullpen a priority this winter, and now two more arms are reportedly headed to Queens. Shintaro Fujinami and Jake Diekman are reportedly headed to the Mets on one-year deals, both of whom have below-average command but elite stuff.
Related: Orioles Acquire Corbin Burnes: What to Make of Trade
A Look at Diekman
Veteran reliever Jake Diekman returns to the NL East for the first time since 2015, before the lefty went with Cole Hamels to Texas. And, he’s coming off a strong 2023 with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Diekman struggled during his brief time with the White Sox but found much more success with the Rays. Across 50 games, Diekman struck out 53 over 45.1 IP and on the season as a whole, posted well above-average Barrel% (80th percentile) and Hard Hit% (99th percentile) rates.
Diekman’s always had questionable command and his delivery hasn’t helped. However, it’s very difficult to hit the 37-year-old when he’s humming along.
That’s thanks to a mid-90s fastball that is extremely tough to pick up thanks to his low arm slot and flat approach angle, coupled with his sweeping slider and change. The change is a pitch he’s rarely used throughout his career except for 2023 when he broke it out 14.7% of the time, exclusively against righties.
While Diekman can be erratic at times, very few left-handed relievers have the stuff and profile of the 37-year-old.
From 2021-23, just four left-handed relievers (min. 90% GP as a reliever) had more total strikeouts than Diekman (226): A.J. Minter, Aroldis Chapman, Tanner Scott, and Josh Hader (h/t Baseball-Reference).
Per MLB.com, Diekman agreed to sign a one-year deal worth $4MM with a vesting option for 2025.
A Look at Fujinami
New Mets reliever Shintaro Fujinami came over from Japan last winter and signed with the A’s as a starter. However, the starting pitching venture didn’t work out for the right-hander.
In his first four starts, Fujinami conceded 24 earned runs and walked 12 over 15 frames before he got his first look as a reliever. Relief work was much kinder to Fujinami, who walked 33 over 61.1 IP as a reliever but opposing hitters batted just .209 (.671 OPS) off him in that role between Oakland and Baltimore.
As a starter, Fujinami owned a .995 opponent’s OPS.
The 29-year-old has the weapons to get lefties and righties out. Fujinami has a triple-digit fastball that plays up with extension, a great combination when the pitch is commanded effectively up. He’s also got a hard splitter, as well as a cutter and slider.
Fujinami will reportedly receive a one-year deal worth $3.35MM.
Analysis
As we noted last week when Adam Ottavino re-signed with the Mets, New York’s bullpen lacked in depth thanks in large part to the loss of Edwin Diaz. The Mets bullpen ranked 23rd in SIERA (4.17) last year and proved to be a weak point aside from Ottavino, Brooks Raley, and ex-closer David Robertson.
Heading into 2024, the bullpen looks different, yet improved.
While Diekman and Fujinami both have command issues, that’s less of a concern for relievers. The two have plus pure stuff and Diekman gives new manager Carlos Mendoza a reliable second left-handed reliever — something the Mets didn’t have in 2023.
And as for Fujinami, the fireballer has the stuff to be a potent middle reliever. Add in newcomers Michael Tonkin and 2022 All-Star Jorge Lopez, and the Mets head into the spring with more weapons to work with.