NY Mets are the early bridesmaids on day two of the MLB Winter Meetings

Today turned into one of those Winter Meetings days where the New York Mets looked fully prepared to walk down the aisle only to watch two potential partners say their vows somewhere else. The front office had real conversations underway and genuine paths to explore, but both situations advanced so quickly that by the time anyone blinked, it felt like congratulatory rice was already being tossed for someone else’s news.

The quick one-two sequence left everything feeling a bit like that familiar line about always a bridesmaid and never a bride, which is rarely attached to this front office but suddenly made perfect sense today. No one is handing out long-term labels here, yet for the moment, the description fits uncomfortably well. The Mets arrived ready to participate, only to watch today’s celebration get photographed without them in the frame.

The Mets saw Kyle Schwarber and Edwin Díaz sign elsewhere after holding real interest

Schwarber's decision to return to Philadelphia for five years and $150 million is the kind of dramatic entrance that feels strangely predictable in December. The Mets had interest in adding a serious bat, and Schwarber made every bit of sense for the middle of a lineup that could use another punch. Instead, he decided the familiar tuxedo was still hanging comfortably in the Phillies' closet, and the one meaningful power upgrade Mets fans circled went right back to a National League rival.

Then came the part that hit a little closer to the Queens living room couch. Edwin Diaz signed with the Dodgers for three years and $69 million after the Mets offered three years and $66 million with room to climb higher. For fans who spent the offseason picturing his return, the unexpected twist landed like a champagne cork bursting in the wrong section. Diaz did not even give the Mets a chance to counter before he headed to Los Angeles, and that reality stung more than the final number on the deal.

So here the Mets sit, watching two high-priority targets become someone else’s winter headline. Interest was never the issue; both players simply decided their futures belonged in different uniforms. The front office is forced to turn to another plan of attack, one that attempts to keep this offseason from becoming a full collection of wedding toasts. The goal remains the same. Bride status is still very much on the registry.