Pete Caldera, Andrew Tredinnick talk MLB Winter Meetings news
NorthJersey.com’s Pete Caldera and Andrew Tredinnick break down how the second day at the Winter Meetings could impact the Yankees and Mets.
ORLANDO, Fla. — With one massive departure, the pressure has ratcheted up on the Mets organization and president of baseball operations David Stearns to make an unexpected pivot.
As Edwin Diaz brings his trumpets to Los Angeles with the Dodgers after six of the most successful seasons of any closer in Mets history, the Mets must make the ultimate change of course — a shift that can appease a jilted fan base and somehow bring their grand expectations back into focus.
Diaz joins the two-time defending World Series champions on a reported three-year, $39 million deal. The New York Post’s Joel Sherman first reported that the Mets offered their former closer $36 million over the same number of years.
And with the agreement, the Mets’ second day of Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings in Orlando, Fla., sent a seismic tremor through the Mets’ plans for the remainder of the offseason.
While Stearns declined to comment on Diaz’s departure, given the deal has not been finalized, the latest departure of one of their core pieces underscores a new level of urgency; the Mets agreed to send out Brandon Nimmo in a trade with the Rangers but now lose one of their own — and arguably the best player at his position — to their biggest competitors in the National League.
“I’m very optimistic about where our offseason is headed,” Stearns said on Tuesday. “We’ve got certainly work to do, but there are a lot of good players out there, and I’m confident that we’re really going to like where our team is once we get to Opening Day.”
David Stearns on the state of the Mets’ bullpen
If the Mets’ season began tomorrow, Devin Williams, who signed a three-year, $51 million deal with the club last week, would be its closer. Stearns said that the team is “very comfortable” with that.
Stearns, who witnessed Williams’ growth under his tutelage with the Brewers early in his career, believes that Williams can be one of the best relievers in baseball. But with arguably the top closer now gone, how the Mets will proceed in addressing a purported weakness one of the team’s key orders of business.
There will be further additions to the Mets’ bullpen and the club will explore the high-end options to potentially fill in some of Diaz’s production.
“I think when we go into an offseason, we have lots of different paths that the offseason can take,” Stearns said. “We thought it important to bring in a reliever of really high quality. We’re really excited we were able to do that with Devin Williams. We think he’s going fit our club really well.
“I’m also confident we’re going to continue to add to the pen and have a very good one when we get to the regular season.”
Williams is coming off a turbulent first season in New York as a member of the Yankees where he closed with a 4.79 ERA and lost his closer’s job despite striking out 13.1 batters per nine innings. His xERA (3.09), xBA (.195) and FIP (2.65) all represented a bit of bad luck.
“I think 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.’”
How could the Mets pivot after losing Edwin Diaz?
As Diaz walks away from his successful tenure with the Mets, the Mets front office has a big task ahead of it to fill in the massive hole.
Fortunately, they have the luxury of the resources, aided by owner Steve Cohen’s deep pockets, and time — there’s still two months until spring training — to make big swings in other areas.
“Our resources that we have here are an enormous advantage and as long as we allocate those resources intelligently, they’re going to continue to be an enormous advantage,” Stearns said. “I think Steve gives us everything we need to have not only a great roster but a competitive organization in every single respect. I think our players and coaches recognize that, and I have no doubt that we’re going to continue to have the resources we need to compete at a very high level.”
The Mets now must seriously weigh the value of having Pete Alonso back with the organization. And as with Nimmo, Stearns must weigh the value of keeping some of its own players with the club beyond what it may cost.
“I think we do our best to weigh the full impact of any player on our team, on our organization, and we make the best decision we can,” Stearns said of the calculus of the value of re-signing valuable players.
The Mets continue to have holes at first base, outfield, top of the starting rotation and bullpen. Stearns believes there is a robust group between free agency and trades to plug the holes in the outfield. Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger linger as the biggest names there.
The club is engaged on starting pitching to try and “raise the ceiling” on last season’s unit which sputtered down the stretch and struggled to eat innings throughout the campaign.
The burden of rebuilding the Mets to World Series threats does not change with Diaz now gone.
“I think there’s always urgency,” Stearns said. “I think we’re always trying to improve the team to the best of our ability, trying to make the decisions that are best for the organization. I think we always feel a sense of urgency.”