The New York Mets have some key players on the open market, including superstar closer Edwin Díaz. Díaz opted out of his five-year, $102 million deal and is reportedly looking for a similar deal again.
Díaz told Newsday’s Laura Albanese in November that he is willing to leave the Mets if it means getting the best deal for him and his family. Now that the Mets have reportedly agreed to sign two-time Reliever of the Year Devin Williams, Díaz may no longer be imperative to retain.
If the Mets want to spend big elsewhere, potentially on Pete Alonso, they may be willing to let Díaz walk. Not many teams have the pockets to pay a reliever what Díaz wants, but some contenders would pay him and need him. FanSided’s Mark Powell predicted Díaz would sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers during the winter meetings.
The Dodgers do not have many holes on their team, but their closer situation may be seen as a flaw. Tanner Scott signed with the Dodgers last offseason, and while he led the team in saves, he was not great. He had a 4.74 ERA and was far from a reliable option.
The Dodgers turned to Rōki Sasaki to close games in October. He figures to rejoin the starting rotation next season, and the Dodgers are not the kind of team to rest their chances of three-peating on Scott figuring things out. They have an aggressive front office, and Díaz would be a phenomenal addition.
Díaz was named National League Reliever of the Year for the second time last season. It was his third Reliever of the Year Award. He won an American Reliever of the Year Award in 2018 with the Seattle Mariners.
More MLB: Blue Jays $63M All-Star Predicted to Leave for Yankees