3 offseason Mets moves the rest of the NL East should be jealous of

2) NY Mets should make the Phillies fans jealous of the Edwin Diaz contract extension

If there’s one thing the Phillies fans should envy about the Mets, it’s the new Edwin Diaz contract extension. The Phillies had one of the better offseasons around the league. They should, however, still have some doubts about the closer spot.

Philadelphia brought in Craig Kimbrel to possibly get a couple of saves. Homegrown reliever Seranthony Dominguez is the less experienced arm they’re hoping becomes anything close to Diaz one day. Gregory Soto is a fine fit for their bullpen and yet he is prone to implosions at times, too.

The Phillies don’t have any sure answers in the ninth inning. Occam’s razor could get Phillies manager Rob Thomson into some trouble. Having more choices sets a manager up for failure. Meanwhile, Buck Showalter only has one guy he would turn to when available. It’s Diaz on the priciest contract a relief pitcher has ever received.

Building trust with a closer is something that takes time. Diaz earned his with a dominating performance on the mound last season. He has come a long way from his disastrous 2019 campaign. The last three seasons have been excellent. The same cannot be said about anyone in the Phillies bullpen over the last few seasons.

Diaz, or anyone like him, would be a dream come true for the Phillies. He’s the ultimate security blanket for the final three outs. Too often, the Phillies have been lefty without a blankie, sucking their own thumbs as a late-game lead was blown.