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All eyes are on David Stearns these next few days. With the MLB Winter Meetings taking place, he’s going to have the attention of New York Mets fans. Will he win fans or lose them?
We know Stearns operates in a particular window for dollar amounts, years, and qualities. He can only control one half of every move. Free agents and trades require another side to agree.
Accepting he won’t get everything he wants, and as fans doing the same for our own interests, these are the five moves Stearns should hope to accomplish to make everyone happy; except maybe the players or agents involved.
1) Re-sign Edwin Diaz to a 3-year deal full of deferrals
This is the move we should all expect to know a little more about sooner rather than later. The free agent market of closers has moved rather quickly with players who didn’t quite fit into the Mets’ plans signing deals with teams who weren’t really in the market for Edwin Diaz. It seems like Diaz is either destined to come back to the Mets or leave for the Toronto Blue Jays. They have as much reason as anyone to go overboard and sign the stud closer to the 5-year contract he’s hoping to receive.
If Stearns had it his way, Diaz would accept a 3-year deal and the Mets have their closer for the next three years. Not four. Definitely not five. In his dream scenario, Diaz sees the light and realizes he’ll take the 3-year deal and make bank again as a free agent after the 2028 season when he absolutely has the capacity to make a lot of money as a free agent once again.
Diaz returning to the Mets remains the best-case scenario. Devin Williams as the closer doesn’t have the same feel as him being the elite-level setup man in front of Diaz. Insured in case the Blue Jays blow past what Stearns is apparently interested in doing, the Mets can’t let their beloved longtime closer leave over a few measly years. To help them now, including significant loads of cash in deferrals can accomplish the goal.