Edwin Diaz opts out of Mets contract to become free agent, source says
Mets closer Edwin Diaz reacts after the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Citi Field on Aug. 4. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Mets closer Edwin Diaz is opting out of the final three years of his contract, a source confirmed, meaning the highest-paid full-time reliever in baseball is now a free agent.
Diaz, originally signed to a five-year, $102 million contract with a sixth-year club option, is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. The three-time All-Star had a 1.63 ERA over 66 1/3 innings with 28 saves, compiling a 3.0 WAR in 65 appearances.
"Of course" he'd like to return to the Mets, Diaz said after their Game 162 ouster. "I love this organization. They treat me really, really [well] — my family, everything. If I decide to opt out, I would love to come back."
When asked about Diaz in his end-of-season postmortem, president of baseball operations David Stearns said he didn't want to opine until the closer made his decision.
That said, "whenever we're talking about departing free agents or players who were with us and who are then free agents, it's always the holistic package of what that player means to the organization," Stearns said. "It's what that player means to the team on the field, what that player means to the community, what that player means to the fan base. That's always part of the decision-making process and I imagine it will be again this offseason."
After a dominant 2022, Diaz missed all of the 2023 season after tearing his patellar tendon in the World Baseball Classic. He scuffled at times in his first year back but reclaimed his vintage form this season.
Diaz’s decision, while not unexpected, puts the Mets’ bullpen further in flux.
The unit struggled in the second half and sustained a number of injuries, with the closer sometimes being manager Carlos Mendoza’s only reliable option. Furthermore, the free-agent market isn’t rife with high-leverage relievers, with the next best available options being Raisel Iglesias (3.21 ERA) and Robert Suarez (2.97 ERA).
Ranked by last year’s WAR, the next most valuable free-agent relievers are Ryan Helsley, who struggled significantly when he came to the Mets via trade at the deadline, and Devin Williams, who also gritted through an inconsistent season with the Yankees.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
