The life of a big-time MLB closer isn’t exactly a vocation heavy with job security.

Witness the Blue Jays 2025 ace of the bullpen, Jeff Hoffman, who was money for much of the playoffs but gave up a game-tying run to the Dodgers’ Miguel Rojas when Toronto was two outs away from winning a World Series.

Five days later, Jays general manager Ross Atkins acknowledged that the closer’s job won’t automatically be Hoffman’s heading into 2026.

And now word from the Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal that the team has been kicking the tires on former New York Mets reliever Edwin Diaz.

Rosenthal reported that the Jays, led by general manager Ross Atkins, met with Diaz’s agents at the GM meetings in Las Vegas this week.

A three-time all star, Diaz is now a free agent after opting out of his contract with the Mets following a season in which he recorded 28 saves while pitching to a stellar 1.63 ERA with 98 strikeouts over 66.1 innings.

Are the Jays frontrunners?

It’s important not to read too much into the fact that the Jays have expressed interest in Diaz for a number of reasons.

The team always is looking for bullpen depth and, given it was an area of concern through much of last season, it figured to be an off-season focus.

As well, through much of his tenure with the Jays, Atkins is among the more active GMs in MLB, a matter of due diligence in exploring all options to improve his team, big and small.

Diaz won’t come cheap considering he opted out of the final two years of his deal with the Mets which would have paid him $38 million US. It’s also expected that Diaz will have multiple high-end suitors.

Why not Hoffman as closer?

That said, Atkins was clear in his season-ending media availability that Hoffman won’t necessarily start as closer in 2026 depending on how the winter plays out.

“The great thing about Jeff is he’s not married to (being the closer),” Atkins said earlier this month. “Talking about the cohesions and team approach (of the Jays), he epitomizes that.

“I think he would be open to anything that makes us better.”

What else are Jays shopping for?

Atkins focus is expected to shore up the starting rotation.

Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer have both entered free agency while there are questions about Jose Berrios, who battled ebbs in performance and an an elbow injury.

What’s next?

Unlike other major North American sports, baseball free agency plays out in a much more drawn-out fashion.

The GM Meetings in Vegas, which wrapped up Wednesday, tend to be a kick-the-tires exercise with action heating up in early December at the much bigger Winter Meetings, held this year in Orlando, Fla.

In recent years, we’ve seen big transactions take place during those meetings or shortly after, though often players at the high-end of the market drag their contract negotiations into January.