2 acceptable Edwin Diaz replacements, and 1 to avoid like the plague for the NY Mets

For the past six years, the New York Mets have had one staple in their bullpen. His presence has been signaled by the unmistakable horns of Timmy Trumpets' "Narco," which has always been greeted by cheers and applause from the Mets' faithful. Edwin Diaz has been an All-Star and a fan favorite. He is currently a free agent, though, and plenty of sharks smell blood in the water.

The Mets are certainly still very much in the running to re-sign the star closer, but other big names are being floated as well. Among them are the Yankees, Braves, Phillies, and Rangers. Yes, there are a lot of hated foes on that list. The real threat, however, is out west in Los Angeles. The Dodgers, no strangers to expensive signings, appear to be the strongest bidder.

If the Dodgers do poach the lefty from the Mets, adoring fans will have to wipe their tears and look at plans B, C, and D. I'm going to go over two alternatives that the Mets should consider if they fail to re-sign Diaz, followed by one they should absolutely not.

Target- Raisel Iglesias

At first glance, this might seem dubious. After all, Iglesias is no spring chicken at age 35, and last year's numbers were a negative departure from his career norms. But when you dig a little deeper, it actually makes perfect sense for the Mets to take a swing.

Spotrac projects his market value to be a two-year contract worth $8.8 million in AAV. If the numbers are anywhere near that, it's a good deal. He comes at a slight discount due to his age and decline in face-value statistics. He also won't require a lengthy commitment. In addition to the money-saving and flexibility this allows, his actual performance last season isn't as bad as the numbers look.

His ERA+ finished at 3.21, his FIP finished at 3.31, and home runs per 9 finished at 1.1. These were all declines in performance from his previous season. Most of his struggles occurred from April through June, though. He finished the season incredibly strong. In 23.2 innings from the start of August to the end of September, he allowed just one earned run and zero home runs. During that time span, his ERA dropped from 4.62 to his final number of 3.21.

While the overall numbers don't look that great, he was actually one of the best pitchers in the world in recent months. The last time we saw him, he was absolutely rolling. And if the Braves are the team to steal Diaz, it'd be nice to get some immediate revenge.