The New York Mets were the most disappointing team in baseball this season.
After adding a lot in the offseason, the Mets whiffed on the postseason as the Cincinnati Reds clinched the final wild-card spot in the National League on the final day of the regular season. Now, the Mets are set to lose a few key players in free agency unless they’re willing to pay up big money.
Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly recently predicted the Mets would retain closer Edwin Diaz on a massive four-year, $80 million contract this winter.
“However, because he is entering his age-32 season and has a qualifying offer attached to him, Díaz is unlikely to match the five years he got on his last deal with the Mets,” Kelly wrote. “With that said, we’re still projecting four, and for him to top the $19 million average annual value (with no deferrals) record for a reliever that Josh Hader currently owns.
“No matter where Díaz pitches, they’ll be able to play Timmy Trumpet through the speakers. There’s no doubt he would look great the back end of the bullpen for the Dodgers or Yankees. But he’s such an attraction at Citi Field that Steve Cohen won’t want to let him out the door.”
While Diaz shouldn’t be the team’s No. 1 priority this winter, they shouldn’t let him leave town.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are getting a lot of buzz as a potential suitor for the star closer, and the Mets can’t afford to let that happen. They need to give up as much money as the star is asking, even if it’s a record-breaking deal, to ensure he stays in Queens for years to come.
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