The New York Mets have now lost two key All-Stars in a matter of days, which affects the team’s focus on run prevention this offseason.
Star first baseman Pete Alonso signed a five-year, $155 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles Wednesday and star right-handed closer Edwin Diaz signed a three-year, $69 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers to make him the highest paid reliever by average annual value in Major League Baseball history Tuesday.
Advertisement
Losing Alonso is devastating for the fanbase and the offense, but his poor defense clashed with the Mets trying to improve on that front. Alonso was an instant fan favorite in the Big Apple, and his record-setting 53 home runs resulted in winning the National League Rookie of the Year in 2019.
Alonso’s durability/availability has allowed him to average 42 home runs and 114 RBI in a full season, but his defense left more to be desired for New York and they were fine with letting him walk.
Letting Diaz walk goes against the run prevention focus, and the team opting to sign Devin Williams to a three-year, $51 million contract before Diaz signed shows that the team preferred the cross-town rival instead.
Diaz has a career ERA of 2.82 and has been one the league’s best relievers since he debuted in 2016. He had a rough year in 2019 to begin his Mets tenure, posting a 5.59 ERA in 66 appearances. But since that season, Diaz hasn’t had an ERA above 3.52 and had three seasons with an ERA below 2.00, including the 2025 season. He has 253 career saves and now joins a potent Dodgers bullpen.
Advertisement
How concerned should people be about the Mets after losing two stars? It depends on who you ask.
“Not too concerned just yet. There’s a lot of winter left, and the Mets are going to make moves,” ESPN’s Jorge Castillo wrote Wednesday. “They have the money and the prospects to add elite talent. It’s clear that Stearns believes the Mets’ core wasn’t good enough after such a disappointing season. Losing Díaz and Alonso — on top of trading Brandon Nimmo — is certainly tough to swallow for Mets fans because those three players were so beloved. The Mets aren’t going to stand pat.”
“The Diaz departure concerns me more than the Alonso exit simply because it’s more difficult to secure a difference-making reliever than a run-producing first baseman, and the contract Diaz signed should have been easy for New York to match or beat,” ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle chimed in. “When you are an elite revenue team and you don’t retain stars you want to retain, there’s a snag in the hose somewhere along the line.”
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel believes the team will struggle to replace Alonso and Diaz, and I’d have to agree.
Advertisement
Alonso is arguably the best-hitting first baseman in baseball and Diaz has shown he’s a guy you want at the back end of your bullpen. It’ll be easy to get better defensively at first base, but the chances of matching Alonso’s offensive production are slim.
The Mets won’t be done making moves, but it’ll be interesting to see who starts at first on Opening Day.