NY Mets Monday Morning GM: It’s hard to imagine Edwin Diaz opting out then re-signing

One inning, the last of the 9, can make all of the difference in any baseball game. Knowing they have Edwin Diaz to shut the door in that final frame and secure the last three outs gives the New York Mets and their fans a ton of confidence whenever the ball gets handed off to the star closer.

The highest paid closer in the game in terms of AAV at $20.4 million per season, Diaz’s contract includes an opt out after the 2025 season. Regardless of the results of this year, Diaz is facing a unique situation. There’s no total contract he’ll be aiming to beat other than his existing one. Years would be what the conversation is about rather than a pay raise. His AAV could only go up ever-so-slightly.

Diaz never made it to free agency after the 2022 season, instead signing a new deal with the Mets before officially filing to explore the open market. The Mets pounced after seeing what he gave them in 2022. Now in his third year under the contract and looking elite yet again, we need to consider his future and whether or not it includes a stay in New York.

David Stearns’ uncanny ability to find talented relievers could have the Mets letting Edwin Diaz walk away if he opts out

A restructuring or extension on the current contract is possible and a plausible conclusion. However, David Stearns hasn’t been in any rush to lock up too many players long-term. Pitchers, especially, have had to take shorter deals to call themselves Mets. 

Stearns and team have made multiple winning decisions with the bullpen staff. The trade for Huascar Brazoban, waiver wire pickup of Max Kranick and decision to move him into a relief role in the minors, and even keeping Reed Garrett around after an underwhelming finish in 2023 have all led to Stearns proving his reputation as a baseball mastermind. The story isn’t over for Dedniel Nunez either. He wasn’t a Stearns addition, but it was ultimately his decision to call him up last season. Hopefully, he gets back to brilliance.

The beast of pitching three middle innings, getting out of a bases loaded jam created by someone else in the fifth, or facing the heart of the order in the eighth inning is different from closing games. It takes a different gutsy mentality to be the last in line. Diaz has it. Do any of these other relievers we’ve come to love in those earlier innings, too?

Overpowering bullpens have been a big part of the way Stearns operates starting in his days with the Milwaukee Brewers. Diaz is one of the most important players on the Mets roster and would seem irreplaceable if not for the man whose task it would be to find an alternative.