Closers around Major League Baseball are always looking to keep their value at an all-time high. For the New York Mets, that’s something they’ll have to deal with in the offseason in more ways than one.
Set to hit the free agency market at the end of the season, Edwin Diaz is in a good position to get paid again.
Diaz has proven throughout his career to be a very good arm, perhaps one of the top closers in baseball.
Will Edwin Diaz hit free agency?
According to Tim Britton of The Athletic, it’s likely that he’ll opt out again, joining Pete Alonso and others as a free agent on the current Mets roster.
“I think [Diaz] will opt out again, just like Alonso,” Britton said. “You look at the closer market this offseason, Diaz is going to be the best closer available.”
“Diaz has proven himself to be one of those closers, one of those relievers, you don’t feel as anxious about investing in long-term, giving him that kind of four, five-year deal. So it would not surprise me if there was a reunion early in November between [Diaz and the Mets],” Britton concluded.
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The Mets could decide to part ways with Diaz, but it’s also important to note that some of the other arms they’ve added over the past few years haven’t panned out, mainly Ryan Helsley.
Helsley was expected to be one of the top arms in baseball when the Mets traded for him at the deadline, but that simply hasn’t been the case.
Another issue that the Mets could run into is the fact that Diaz will be expensive again, with Spotrac predicting that he’ll land a four-year, $70.4 million deal.
If he lands nearly $18 million AAV, it might be something the Mets are willing to pay.
However, for a reliever, that isn’t exactly cheap.
