Mets closer Edwin Diaz had a dominant season in 2022, posting a 1.31 ERA with 118 strikeouts in 62 innings and saving 32 of 35 opportunities. He figured to be the top reliever on the free-agent market this offseason, but any teams who were looking at him will need to pivot to Plan B, as he’s staying in New York on a record-breaking contract.
Diaz has had an up-and-down career, or more accurately, an up-and-down-and-up-and-down-and-up-and-down-and-up career, with his seven years in the big leagues marked by excellent performances in even-numbered years and poor performances in odd years. The Mets are banking on that being a numerical fluke rather than an immutable pattern with this contract, the first one in history to guarantee a reliever more than $20 million per year.