Jake Diekman guaranteed $8M in 2-year deal with Red Sox

Updated Mar. 17, 2022 5:38 p.m. ET

Associated Press

FORT MYERS, Fla, (AP) — Left-hander Jake Diekman is guaranteed $8 million in his two-year contract with the Boston Red Sox.

Diekman gets $3.5 million in each of the next two seasons under the deal announced Wednesday. Boston has a $4 million option for 2024 with a $1 million buyout.

The 35-year-old reliever was 3-3 with a 3.86 ERA with a career-high seven saves in 67 relief appearances for Oakland last season, striking out 83 in 60 2/3 innings. He has a 2.96 ERA over the past two seasons.

Diekman is 20-25 with a 3.73 ERA, 14 saves and 11.47 strikeouts per nine innings for Philadelphia (2012-15), Texas (2015-18), Arizona (2018), Kansas City (2019), and Oakland (2019-21).

To clear a roster spot, Boston put left-hander James Paxton on the 60-day injured list as he recovers from Tommy John surgery last April.

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