Where Ryan Helsley's $28 million contract can hurt the NY Mets, it’s not Edwin Diaz

The Edwin Diaz market shouldn’t change with the $28 million deal Ryan Helsley received from the Baltimore Orioles. The New York Mets were never going to sign him and the same teams in the market to add Diaz would have viewed Helsley as too large of a risk.

Where it can negatively affect the Mets is in a different market. The idea of signing Devin Williams to pair up alongside Diaz was always a bit ambitious. This makes it more impossible as well as the ability to add any other highly-effective pitcher with closer experience to join the Mets as a setup man.

There is no reason why Pete Fairbanks should settle on a deal short of what Helsley got until he has no choice.

Relief pitchers are going to cost a lot and the Mets may be limited if there is any budget

Steve Cohen’s wallet can be seen from space. It doesn’t mean the Mets are going to sign every relief pitcher they can. Some guys will want to close. Some might not even like New York. It’s those high-leverage, non-closers whose market just raised further with Helsley getting a strong deal from the Orioles. Players like Tyler Rogers now feel a little further out of reach for the Mets than even before.

A projected $11.3 million per year on a two-year contract for Rogers, he is someone who’d fit perfectly into the Mets bullpen next season. Getting paid around the same as A.J. Minter and around half of what the Mets would dish out to Diaz, it’s a large sum of money for a payroll already dancing toward the highest levels of the luxury tax threshold.

The Mets haven’t even added to their starting rotation or subtracted from their payroll significantly with a trade of Jeff McNeil or Kodai Senga. They’re at least one slugger short in the starting lineup. Navigating those waters correctly could have limitations. A trade for a starting pitcher not making a whole lot of money (Freddy Peralta) and subtraction of McNeil and Senga makes it more sensible.

Players like Dylan Ross, Huascar Brazoban, and Adbert Alzolay having significant bullpen roles next year can help offset some of the overall cost of the bullpen. The Mets are still short two or three big arms. If the upper echelon relievers are all going to be making north of $10 million this offseason, it’s going to be a challenge to not go overboard.

Helsley got more per year than what was projected on a shorter deal. It’s a good deal for him to make bank next year in free agency if he returns to All-Star form. Failure would have him pulling a Frankie Montas and stealing some cash.