Mets Should Prioritize Edwin Díaz Contract Amid MLB Rumors Entering Free Agency

The electricity in Citi Field as the trumpets of "Narco" by Blasterjaxx and Timmy Trumpet exploded over the PA system, his 118 strikeouts, an ERA of just 1.31, and 32 saves all defined Edwin Díaz in 2022.

Arguably the most captivating closer in baseball, the 28-year-old was a major part of New York's 100-win season, all while throwing just two different pitches, his arsenal being small but effective.

His ability to stunt offense, silence bats and close things out for the Mets built confidence in the team and management. The theatricality of his walk-up only served to spark excitement in the ballpark.

For all that Díaz accomplished in 2022, a season in which he transformed into the best closer in MLB, the Mets must prioritize his contract and ensure he returns to an organization still chasing its first World Series title since 1986.

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High Risk, High Reward

There is reason to be hesitant in regards to paying Díaz a huge amount of money.

There is no guarantee that he can replicate the season he put together in 2022. We have seen closers rewarded based on expected output, only to fall into mediocrity and never quite reach the levels they had prior.

Aroldis Chapman and Craig Krimble come to mind.

Maybe Díaz falls into that discussion, and Mets fans lament the time the franchise gave a closer a ton of money that could have been better utilized elsewhere.

Or, maybe Díaz continues to ride his highly effective two-pitch arsenal to success. Perhaps he stomps to the mound, strikes six batters out in a row and fuels the Mets to the postseason success that eluded them this year.

If that is the case, New York should feel very good about its future.

Díaz had a lights-out 2022, striking out 17.13 batters per nine innings and allowing less than half of a home run in that same frame. Only two of his 10 inherited runners scored, proving he could pitch his way out of a jam and prevent the other team from capitalizing on hits.

He has great control, too, managing just two wild pitches in the 62 innings in which he appeared.

He won 75 percent of his games and had a minuscule ERA of 1.31, good for second in the Majors.

Díaz was the closest thing to a sure thing there was when it came time to close out a victory. He has earned the contract he will inevitably get; and if he can play up to it, the Mets are going to be in every game and face fewer scenarios in which a lead is blown and a win evaporates before their eyes.

There will be some who question whether the Mets should save that potential $100 million and throw it in the direction of underrated hitter Brandon Nimmo or ace Jacob deGrom.

Nimmo was a solid hitter and a major part of what the 100-win team looked to do offensively. He may not be a power hitter who is going to push the ball deep and out of the park, but his on-base percentage was a very good .367 and his OPS was .800, placing him among the top 50 hitters in the league.

He will be difficult to replace and the Mets should weigh the possibility of finding a way to sign Díaz and bring Nimmo back.

This brings us to the elephant in the room: Jacob deGrom and what will likely be a monster contract.

There is an argument to be made that the 34-year-old should take precedence this offseason. When healthy, he is one of the greatest pitchers of his generation and a guy who has earned a check with lots of zeros and commas.

Unfortunately for him, the key phrase in that statement is "when healthy."

When looking at the many pieces the Mets front office will have to maneuver to field a team best suited to win a title, it will have to weigh whether deGrom is worth the $40 million AAV, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, that he could attract from potential suitors.

Without doubt, he is the best pitcher available and has more than earned the right to opt-out of his current deal and test the market. In doing so, though, he is likely to bring an end to his run in Gotham because the idea of giving that sort of money to a guy who has only pitched in 74.7 innings over the last three years is hardly appealing.

Are the Mets likely to find someone like deGrom this offseason? No, but they could find a cheaper option who will appear more consistently and can score a few quality wins. Noah Syndergaard, Nathan Eovaldi and even Mets free-agent-to-be Chris Bassitt fit that description.

At the very least, an option who can put his side in a position for the $100 million man Díaz to march to the mound and earn another win for a team whose World Series aspirations have never been higher.