New York Mets: If right deal comes along for Edwin Diaz they should take it
By Jason Evans
The New York Mets have an opportunity to cash in a big trade chip in Edwin Diaz
The New York Mets season has gone off the rails and now they have a golden opportunity to cash in a couple of assets and set themselves up moving forward. One is Noah Syndergaard, but another is Edwin Diaz.
Yes, he was the big trade move in the off-season along with Robinson Cano. However, having a talented closer on a bad team is like putting chrome wheels and a shiny paint job on a car with a busted transmission. It doesn’t make sense.
The New York Mets apparently realize this and are at least listening on him.
"Yes, the Mets have been open to dealing Diaz, according to sources. This is not out of a desire to get rid of him but rather a desire not to potentially shut out avenues by which they can improve a moribund team. They’ll do it, but only if they hit a home run.The sort of home run, one executive said, that has them “asking for more than they gave up for him,” referring to the offseason blockbuster in which the Mets acquired Diaz and Robinson Cano for Jarred Kelenic, now one of the top 20 prospects in baseball, and Justin Dunn, another top-100 talent."
The New York Mets have so many holes to fill and this could be a way to do it. They need a catcher. They need a third baseman. They need someone who can catch the ball in center and they need more depth overall.
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Teams around July 31st are clamoring for pitching help whether it’s a starter or a reliever. Drop Diaz into any contenders bullpen and it makes them that much better.
For example, The New York Yankees sent out Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller back in 2016 and turned that into Gleyber Torres, Clint Frazier and Justus Sheffield, who turned into James Paxton. You can take those chips to help you fill other needs.
For example, the Los Angeles Dodgers are going to win the NL West. I don’t think I’m breaking any news with that. However, for them, it’s about winning their straight NL pennant and their first World Series since 1988. A back end of Diaz and Kenley Jansen can go a long way in getting there.
What if the Dodgers offered the New York Mets, Will Smith, DJ Peters and Mitchell White for Edwin Diaz? The Mets get three of Dodgers top 20 prospects including a catcher who could start for them now, a center fielder who’s hitting .345 with a 182 WRC+ and a pitcher who may be an impact arm for them next year and can be in AAA for the rest of the year to continue his development. The Dodgers have Keibert Ruiz coming at catcher who’s also in AAA with Smith. They have other arms in their system like Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin and Josiah Gray who are on their way. The Dodgers also have Alex Verdugo and A.J. Pollock in the majors patrolling their outfield for years to come.
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There’s a belief out there that in New York you can’t rebuild. That’s garbage. If you have a plan and you execute well with a clear message, New York fans will embrace it. The New York Mets can do it too and it starts with getting a good package back for Edwin Diaz.