3 possible replacements for Edwin Diaz if he leaves after the 2022 season

Survey says half of all New York Mets fans are ready for Edwin Diaz’s time in the Big Apple to end. It doesn’t matter what he does in 2022. His first three seasons with the club (three seasons already, wow!) were a mix of good, bad, and unconventionally husband—the polite way of calling something ugly.

Diaz came to the Mets with gigantic expectations in a trade with the Seattle Mariners that the franchise may never live down. Yet to reach those expectations, the 2022 season might be his final opportunity to do so. He’s a free agent and the Mets might want to already start thinking about the future.

The closer spot on any MLB roster is an important one as the last line of defense. If Diaz walks, the Mets will need to fill it with someone. While we don’t yet know what everyone’s contract situation will be, there are three names that stand out most. One is a trade candidate, one is a free agent, and the other is a guy the Mets already have.

NY Mets closer candidate to replace Edwin Diaz: Trade for Josh Hader

Josh Hader is, somehow, not as closer to free agency as I would have guessed. The Milwaukee Brewers lefty has two seasons of control left and the Mets would certainly be a team to get into the market to acquire him.

Hader has been one of the big league’s best relievers since debuting back in 2017. He started saving games for Milwaukee in 2018 and has now compiled 96 of them to go with his 2.26 ERA.

During this time, Hader has had numerous seasons that challenge or surpass what Diaz did in his final year with Seattle. Just last season in 2021, Hader was 4-2 with a 1.23 ERA and 34 saves. Always one to strike batters out, he has a career average of 15.4 strikeouts per nine. It’s one more than Diaz who has impressive numbers of his own at 14.4.

Oddly enough, Diaz’s career ERA is also nearly a full run more than Hader just as his strikeouts per nine is one less. The difference in ERA is much more significant, of course.

To land Hader, the Mets are going to have to pay a steep price. His market will remain immense. And the Brewers aren’t going to just let one of the best ninth inning men slip away for nothing at all.

NY Mets closer candidate to replace Edwin Diaz: Promote Eric Orze to the big leagues

The Mets may always transition a starter to a relief role at some point and hope he becomes the club’s next closer. Right now, among those already pitching in relief, Eric Orze appears to be the best option from the minor league system.

The 2021 campaign was Orze’s first professional year and he made it all the way from High-A to Triple-A. He was successful each step of the way, actually lowering his ERA with each promotion. His full season numbers included 49.2 innings and 5 saves. The 12.1 strikeouts per nine and 2.5 walks per nine are promising. He can strike out batters well without the bad habit many young pitchers have of getting a little too wild.

Already knocking on the big league door, Orze is a pitcher we have to seriously start paying attention to in regards to having a big role out of the Mets bullpen. The club has a couple of holes they will need to fill after the 2022 season. Even this year, with many guys under contract, we should look at Orze as a potential future addition to the 40-man roster depending upon how well he pitches in Syracuse.

Rookie closers can be risky as can sophomores. Orze may not be the replacement for Diaz. However, down the line, maybe he can begin to earn saves for the Mets on his way to becoming one of the more memorable closers in franchise history. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.