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 2023 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 seasons 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.
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.