Right-hander Edwin Díaz has opted out of his deal with the Mets, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. He was still guaranteed two years and $38MM but will head to the open market in search of more. Díaz becomes the second premier closer to opt out on Monday, joining Robert Suarez.
Díaz signed a five-year, $102MM contract with the Mets following the 2022 season. A knee injury in the World Baseball Classic cost him all of 2023, but he returned to deliver elite results over the past two seasons, tallying 48 saves with a strikeout rate above 38%. Díaz earned his third All-Star nomination this past season.
New York acquired Díaz and second baseman Robinson Cano from Seattle in a December 2018 trade. He was coming off a league-leading 57 saves with the Mariners. Díaz’s first campaign with the Mets was rocky, as he scuffled to a 5.59 ERA over 58 innings. The underlying numbers (3.22 xERA, 3.07 xFIP) suggested he pitched better than the final results. Díaz got back on track in the shortened 2020 season, though the Mets’ last-place team didn’t afford him many save chances. He closed out exactly 32 games in each of the next two seasons. Díaz piled up 96 saves in his first four years with the Mets.
Díaz landed a nine-figure deal in his first taste of free agency. The 31-year-old enters a jam-packed reliever market that includes Suarez, Devin Williams, Ryan Helsley, and Raisel Iglesias as the top options, plus a slew of capable veterans.
The Mets have a handful of internal options to replace Díaz if they aren’t able to re-sign him this time around. A.J. Minter is exercising his player option to remain with the team. He’s been solid when healthy, though he’s undergone season-ending surgery in consecutive years. Adbert Alzolay saved 22 games for the Cubs in 2023, but had Tommy John surgery in 2024 and missed all of the 2025 season.
Mets will resign him before the five day period where teams can negotiate exclusively.
Good call. Just like Cole with yanks
I can’t see him leaving. It’s just a matter of how much Uncle Steve is going to overpay to keep him.
Just like the Yanks for the last 30 years. After they overpay a player by 50% more than the market they come out and say “I always wanted to be a Yankee”
I’m very surprised. Who would have thought he’d go and do that? (/S)
He’s gone. Wants to play for a real team.
But will someone overpay him like Cohen can?
@Sephiroth
Philly offered Yamamoto more money than the Dodgers did and he signed with the Dodgers. It’s not always about the money.
And so did the Yankees.
He was a bit shaky if you followed day to day but the overall stat lines are good enough. I can’t see him getting too much more, but maybe an extra year?
He’s elite. He’ll get 5 years.
I had him in fantasy last year, and day to day he did not feel right.
I elite may be behind him. Still very good, but elite? I don’t think so.
I agree, think he is risking a lot there with his shakiness.
@Sephiroth the Dodgers will overpay lol
I hope Frankie Montas doesn’t hurt his hand smacking the opt-in button so hard.
Edwin, come back to your roots in Seattle so the M’s can finally go to a WS.
imagine Brash, Diaz and Munoz as the 7th, 8th and 9th inning bullpen. pair that with the elite 5 starting pitchers they have and they will be the class of the American League.
This is the second good thing to happen to the Mets this off season. He’s elite when it’s a layup, but wild when they need him most. They have Holmes who could step in.
Holmes was terrible this year as a starter. If you can even call him a starter, more like a 3 inning opener.
This guy is the Yankees’ top priority this offseason and he knows it.
With Yankee luck, they sign him, he needs TJ and they look silly. Devin Williams signs with the Mets and regains form. Watch.
Williams absolutely will regain form wherever he ends up.
If Mets don’t sign Diaz this week, their 2026 playoff aspirations are over because it signals they will be filling their roster with inexpensive pieces to balance out soto’s salary
He demonstrates to the fans that just because you have a bad season doesnt mean you are washed up.
2019 was a bad year for him but he has done much better since then
Your ability to opt out should go away if during your deal you missed a full season (but got paid) due to an injury sustained while playing in WBC. Or doing anything else not permitted by your contract.
He’s going to wait and see what the Dodgers are offering.