Money is often the biggest reason why a free agent leaves one team for another. What about other factors? The Southern California weather has appeal. So does the fact that he’d be leaving the New York Mets, who’ve been to the postseason just twice since he arrived, to the Los Angeles Dodgers who’ve won three championships since he went to New York in 2019.
According to the NY Post’s Mike Puma, Diaz had other reasons for choosing Hollywood and it’s not to become an action star.
Two other factors that didn’t help the Mets in trying to retain Edwin Diaz: Diaz’s brother Alexis was with the Dodgers last season and spoke glowingly of the staff and infrastructure. Also, Edwin Diaz was less than thrilled the Mets dumped pitching coach Jeremy Hefner.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) December 9, 2025
The Mets are paying for letting Jeremy Hefner go
The Dodgers infrastructure is one thing the Mets couldn’t quite compete with. The departure of Jeremy Hefner at the end of the season, which many fans felt was appropriate based on the way the club collapsed late, is something the Mets had control over but probably couldn’t have envisioned would be a reason for Diaz to depart.
Hefner’s glowing reviews for years as the Mets pitching coach was apparently strong enough for Diaz to think twice about re-upping with New York with him no longer there. He, fortunately, didn’t follow him to the Atlanta Braves.
The Mets are at a crossroads and the vibe check right now couldn’t be more different than it was 365 days ago. Juan Soto had just agreed to a deal. They were coming off of a magical 2024 season. Everything was going well and they felt like they were headed in the right direction. Not today.
Diaz returning to the Mets felt like one of the offseason’s biggest foregone conclusions. The qualifying offer penalties following him would’ve made him unseekable for some ball clubs. Paying him a record AAV eliminates a couple more. His market was always limited to just about the Mets, Dodgers, and Toronto Blue Jays. It sounds like the Blue Jays never had much of a shot either if his brother, Alexis, had enough good things to say about his brief time in LA.
If the Mets had the power of Cher and ability to turn back time, would they have kept Hefner around? Eh, probably not. It’s sounding like he wanted a reason to leave and would have found one way or another to get out of the Big Apple.
