New York Mets morning after: Offseason off to fast start with Diaz deal

With the offseason officially underway, the New York Mets wasted little time in making sure closer Edwin Diaz would stay with the team for 2023 and beyond.

Sound the trumpets, New York Mets fans. Edwin Diaz is returning as the team’s closer in 2023.

With Diaz expected to be one of the hottest names in free agency as teams looked to strengthen the back end of their bullpens, the New York Mets made sure Diaz never reached that point this winter, reportedly inking him to a five-year, $102 million deal. After locking down 32 saves in 2022 and earning an All-Star Game bid, the 28-year-old right-hander will receive the largest contract in MLB history for a reliever.

According to a tweet from MLB insider Jon Heyman, as a part of his deal, Diaz received a $12 million signing bonus and has an opt-out clause after three seasons. Additionally, there’s a no-trade clause in the contract through his opt-out year.

Traded by the Seattle Mariners to New York along with Robinson Cano in a much-discussed 2018 trade, Diaz posted a 1.31 ERA/0.90 FIP/0.839 WHIP in 62.0 innings over 61 games in 2022. He also etched himself into Mets folklore as his entrance became the stuff of legends.

The Diaz deal once again reinforces that the Mets will spend money this offseason, and they will spend it on players that they believe to be franchise cornerstones as they look to wipe away the memories of a disappointing end to the 2022 season.

And don’t overlook that the Mets also picked up Daniel Vogelbach’s $1.5 million team option for 2023 on Sunday as well. The news will be overshadowed with the Diaz deal, but it still brings back a cost-effective potential answer for the Mets at designated hitter next season.

Spending big salaries on closers is always a dicey proposition, but the Mets believe they have their man in Diaz, and they wanted to make sure he stays at Citi Field. On the first official day of the offseason, mission accomplished for the Mets.