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Edwin Diaz: Re-examining the trade that brought him to the Mets

By Scott Henry

Aug 21, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 21, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /
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In December of 2018, the New York Mets and Seattle Mariners pulled off a major blockbuster trade that was full of scrutiny on the side of the Mets for some time. Four years later, it appears as if former Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen knew exactly what he was doing after all.

Re-examining the trade between the New York Mets and Seattle Mariners that involved current Mets closer Edwin Diaz

The trade included the following:

New York receives:

  • Edwin Diaz
  • Robinson Cano

Seattle receives:

  • Jarred Kelenic
  • Justin Dunn
  • Jay Bruce
  • Anthony Swarzak
  • Gerson Bautista

The Mets were met with heavy criticism early on for two reasons. The first being that Kelenic and Dunn were two of their best prospects at the time, and figured to be future stars in the making. The second was that Cano and Edwin Diaz had awful starts to their Mets careers. Cano never had a season above 1.1 WAR before eventually getting cut.

Kelenic was the major piece in this deal and, after scorching earth in the minors for many years, he got the call in 2021 and played 93 games with the Mariners that season. The first 133 games of Kelenic’s major league career have not gone as planned. He owns a .167 average, .575 OPS,  and -2.1 WAR.

It would be unwise at this point to consider Kelenic a bust, but that is definitely not what the Mariners were hoping for when making the trade. After a few league-average years with the Mariners, Justin Dunn was eventually traded to the Reds in a package centered around Jesse Winker.

The X-factor in this trade proved to be Edwin Diaz. After a forgettable 2019, he bounced back with the following between 2020 and 2022 per FanGraphs:

  • 2.41 ERA
  • 1.92 FIP
  • 5.4 WAR (most for that time span for relievers)
  • 93 Saves

He has been the fuel to New York’s run to make the playoffs and beyond this year.

dark. Next. Did the Mets really prove they are a threat to the Dodgers?

Brodie Van Wagenen was eventually relieved of his position in November of 2020 as soon as Steve Cohen purchased the team. It’s hard to think that this trade didn’t have any impact on that decision, among others. In this case, it looks like Van Wagenen pulled off a masterful trade for the Mets.

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