Ranking the top 5 trade targets for the Mets to consider to help replace Edwin Diaz

New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz suffered a massive, likely-season-ending injury after Team Puerto Rico’s win over the Dominican Republic. Diaz struck out all three batters he faced, and then went down in the celebration that followed.

Obviously this is a huge loss for the Mets. Having a reliable, dominant, lock-down closer at the back of the bullpen is very important in today’s style of baseball. The Mets are going to have to make a move eventually to overcome this, so let’s look at a few guys who might be available at some point this season.

Mets trade target to replace Edwin Diaz #5: Camilo Doval

This is a long shot, but it’s at least worth mentioning. The San Francisco Giants are in limbo after not signing the franchise player they were looking for over the winter. Most projections have them finishing 3rd or 4th in the NL West, and that may stay the same for the next few seasons. You know what sub-.500 teams don’t need? A closer.

They have a good one in Camilo Doval. Last year, Doval pitched 67.2 innings in 68 appearances. He allowed 54 hits, 19 earned runs, 30 walks, and he struck out 80 batters. His ERA was 2.53, his FIP was 2.98, his WHIP was 1.24, and his ERA+ was 160.

The one thing you’d like to see him improve is the walks. His BB/9 was 4.0 last year, but it was 3.0 in 2021. If he can return that to 3ish or below, he can be a truly dominant reliever.

He would be expensive to trade for. He’s 25 years old, and he has five years of control remaining. Would the Giants view Mark Vientos as their first baseman of the future? Or would they want Ronny Mauricio since they also missed on Correa? The Mets have the depth to do that, but will they? I don’t know the answer to those questions, but it’s worth considering. Imagine Doval setting up for Diaz once Diaz comes back…