The Mets started their unofficial season in spectacular fashion, bringing the star Edwin Diaz closer to a record-breaking five-year deal worth $102 million. The deal comes with a $12 million signing bonus, a full no-trade clause and has a sixth-year team option that could bring the total value of the deal to $122 million. Diaz will also have the ability to withdraw from the contract after the third season, when he approaches his 32-year season. One of the best free dealerships takes off the board before the free dealership opens on Thursday afternoon.
Diaz, 28, was a Mets off-season in 2022, throwing 62 runs of 1.30 Era balls. He hit more than half of the hitters he encountered, while only 7.7% of the hitters were walking. He gave up only three home runs all year, turning around 32 out of 35 savings opportunities. His fastball/slider combo has always been a nightmare for opposition fighters, but he was leaning hard on his slider in 2022, going 58.1% of the time against his usual mid-30s use, and the results are amazing. He led the majors in ERA exempt, strike rate and loyal fWAR. The strike rate was so dominant that it was linked Craig KimbrelA 2012 effort to have the third-best exit rate for qualifying thinners in MLB history. Just Aroldis ChapmanThe 52.5% mark in 2014 is better, but that came up against an 11.9% walking rate, well above Diaz’s rate this season.
Given Diaz’s historic podium season, it’s no surprise that he ordered a record-breaking deal for a loyalist. It smashes Chapman’s previous five-year, $86 million mark with the Yankees in 2016, and it also gives Diaz the highest average annual value loyalist, with the $20.4 million mark he comfortably tops. Liam HendricksThe previous mark was $18 million.
Although Diaz has established himself as the best loyalist in baseball this season, the deal presents a reasonable degree of risk, especially considering that Diaz’s career as a whole has been a rollercoaster. After being drafted in the third round of the 2012 draft by the Mariners, Diaz emerged as a strong arm outside the Seattle Bullpen. He averaged 2.64 ERAs over three seasons in Seattle and was highlighted by a phenomenal 2018 season that featured 57 saves, while posting 1.96 ERAs and finishing eighth in the AL Cy Young vote. That prompted the Mets to acquire him in the off-season, sending their own best prospect Jared Kielnik It bears the greater part of Robinson KanoHuge contract to get it. This blockbuster movie came out off-season as well Jay BruceAnd the Anthony SwarzakAnd the Justin Dunn And the Gerson Bautista.
The deal seemed shocking at first, as Diaz shot to a 5.59 ERA in his first season at Queens. He maintained his strong hitting rates, but struggled hard with the long ball, dropping an average of 2.3 times every nine runs. He could have been a no-bid outside candidate that winter, but the Mets stuck with him, and their decision paid off immediately. Diaz bounced back in the 2020 season cut short by the pandemic, as he tackled long ball problems and achieved the best hitting rate at that point in his career. He saw a slight drop in 2021, posting a 3.45 ERA, although advanced indicators such as the FIP suggest his performance was largely in line with his previous season (2.48 in ’21 vs 2.18 in ’20).
Diaz has become a legitimate sports star in Queens. His performance speaks for itself, but his entry to the Horns at Citifield has captured all the sports and sparked a number of other theatrical entrances that seem to mimic the atmosphere created by Diaz’s entrance. While there’s no surefire, Diaz is the best in the game at what he does, and Mets owner Steve Cohen has shown a willingness to make money when it comes to signing, or in this case re-signing, the best talent in the game.
It’s the first step in what can be a busy off-season for the Mets. Both their rotation and bullpen will handle big. Diaz is set to join Tommy HunterAnd the Adam OttavinoAnd the Julie RodriguezAnd the Trevor MayAnd the Seth Logo And the Trevor Williams As sedatives I went to a free agency, while Michael Givens He has a mutual option for next year, which means they have to actually rebuild their entire bases. Diaz is a key part of that, but the Mets will still be hugely active in the relief market this winter. On the side of the rotation of things, Chris Bassett He has already rejected his mutual option and will be a free agent, while Jacob Degrom He is expected to confirm that he will choose to join a free agency in the coming days. Taiguan Walker He has a player option of 7.5 million dollars with a purchase of 3 million dollars, while Carlos Carrasco He has a $14 million club option with a $3 million buyout, so the team may be looking for a number of starters as well. This doesn’t even reach the offensive side of the ball, as the Mets will lose defensive players Brandon Nemo And the Tyler Naken.
It’s looking like another busy off-season, and you could see Mets payroll rising to greater heights. Cohen never seemed concerned about the payroll, but RosterResource has The Mets payroll is currently at $251 million for 2023, although that number doesn’t assume deGrom will pull out. However, the team spent $282 million in 2022 on player payroll, and there is definitely a way for them to spend that or more in 2023 if they’re serious about competing in the tough East NL.
Bob Nightingale from USA TODAY He was the first to report that Diaz and Mets were close to striking a deal. Jeff Bassan from ESPN He was the first to report that the deal had been made and included an option, opt-out and no-trade clause. Tim Healy from Newsday Financial details for the year of the option and the time of opt-out. Ken Rosenthal from The Athletic Has signature bonus details.
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