Edwin Diaz agrees to deal with Dodgers, source says
Former Mets closer Edwin Diaz. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
ORLANDO, Fla. – There will be no trumpets sounding over Flushing next year, no light show as “Narco” plays on the giant scoreboard, and no Edwin Diaz jogging out of the bullpen doors to once again shut the door.
In a move that caused considerable buzz during baseball’s winter meetings Tuesday, Diaz, who is third on the Mets all-time save list, opted to ditch Queens in favor of the juggernaut Dodgers, a source said. The deal, which is for three years and $69 million, retains the closer’s title as the most highly paid reliever of all time. The Mets offered Diaz three years and $66 million with deferrals, a source said, but were not given the opportunity to counter the Dodgers’ winning bid.
Some cold comfort for those who were hoping for a Diaz return: The righthander declined a $22.025 million qualifying offer from the Mets, meaning the Dodgers will owe them a compensatory draft pick. He previously opted out of the final two years of his five-year contract.
President of baseball operations David Stearns, who declined to comment on the deal because it was not yet official, said that were the season to start today, Devin Williams, who signed a three-year, $51 million deal earlier this month, would be their closer.
“We're very comfortable” with Williams as the closer, Stearns said. “I've certainly seen Devin perform at a very high level for a long time. Have full confidence that he can be one of the best relievers in baseball. I think he's very motivated to do that, and I'm looking forward to watching it.”
Williams, who was on site Tuesday, said he was “super excited for the opportunity…
“I think that’s something [where] I may have the first crack at it, but you have to earn it and I look forward to doing that.”
Of Diaz, he added: “I kind of expected him to be back, honestly. If I were a betting man, I thought he was going to be a Met, but he made whatever the right decision was for him and his family, so I wish him well.”
The Dodgers bullpen, which was a point of weakness in their World Series run, should be significantly better with Diaz, who posted a 1.63 ERA and 28 saves last season. In his time with the Mets, he pitched to a 2.93 ERA with 144 saves, became a shutdown option out of the bullpen, and, in 2022, reached near cult status via his wicked fastball-slider combo and his iconic entrance music.
The most prized reliever in this year’s free agent class, Diaz, 31, has a career 2.82 ERA and a 1.036 WHIP. Diaz last month said that while he would like to return to Flushing, he was approaching free agency with the big picture in mind, calling the potential of a reunion “50-50.”
The goal was to “just get the best deal for my family,” Diaz said at the MLB Awards Show in Las Vegas. “I love New York. I would love to stay in New York, but if I have to go another place, I would be happy. I want to win a ring, so wherever I go, I want to win a ring and enjoy the time.”
He’ll certainly have a shot at that with the Dodgers, the two-time defending World Series champs who boast the game’s biggest payroll and its biggest stars. The Mets bullpen, meanwhile, remains in construction mode.
Stearns demurred when asked whether the team will pursue another high-end reliever, saying, “we’ll see…”
“We're having plenty of conversations,” he said. “I think there are different ways to build a bullpen, and we're going to continue to explore all of them.”
Robert Suarez is by far the best free agent reliever left, but he also will be 35 next season and has experienced a downtick in his velocity. That, though, is relative - his fastball is still in the high 90s, he was highly effective with the Padres last year, compiling a 2.97 ERA, and increased his changeup usage as his four-seamer lost steam. Stearns also classified the trade market this offseason as “pretty active” Monday and said it would likely play a part in his bullpen construction.
Still, Williams now no doubt takes a starring role. The righty struggled with the Yankees last year, posting a 4.79 ERA, but has nonetheless been one of the best relievers in baseball since winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2020; his 9.0 fWAR in that span is tied with Diaz for second in baseball among relievers. In addition to his “Airbender” changeup and fastball, Williams earlier this month said he was working on adding a gyro slider.
“What excites me about Devin is he’s not just saying, ‘Oh, I got unlucky last year,’ ” Stearns said. “He’s saying, ‘I want to get better, and there's another gear. And yes, I know my stuff last year was really good, and the results probably didn't necessarily reflect how good I actually was, but I can actually get better, and I can manipulate the ball a little bit differently.’ I think Devin is looking for another level, which is pretty cool.”
Added Williams: “It’s just repetition, getting the right feel, getting the right movement and taking it into games. In the past, it’s something I’ve been able to do…I have to trust it.”
Newsday's David Lennon contributed to this story.
Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.
