Updated Post: Nov. 3 at 2:19 pm

Pete Alonso has opted out of the remaining year on his contract, joining Edwin Díaz in free agency. Alonso would’ve been owed $24 million in 2026.

Alonso enjoyed a bounce-back season in 2025, batting .272/.347/.524 with 38 homers, 126 RBIs, and an NL-leading 41 doubles in 709 plate appearances. He reportedly is seeking a seven-year contract.

Original Post: Nov. 3 at 1:35 pm

Edwin Díaz will be a free agent. The 31-year-old, three-time All-Star opted out of the last two years and $38 million left on his contract to become the best closer on the market.

But it isn’t time yet to play “Taps” on the trumpet for Diaz’s career with the Mets. There’s a good chance he will be back. He was asked after the regular-season finale on Sept. 28 about this potential scenario.

“Yeah, of course,” he said when asked if he could see himself staying with the team. “I love this organization. They treat me really good, my family, everything. If I decide to opt out, I would love to come back.”

The Mets, of course, need to agree.

New York may now extend the one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer to Díaz. He will no doubt reject it, meaning if a team other than the Mets signs him they will have to give up draft pick compensation. Teams have until five days after the end of the World Series to make qualifying offers. Players receiving them have a week after that to accept.

Only 14 of 144 qualifying offers have been accepted since the mechanism was put in place after the 2012 season. The amount of the offer is determined by the average of the top 125 MLB salaries that season.

Díaz came to the Mets in a December 2018 trade with Seattle and signed a five-year, $102 million contract after the 2022 season, when he pitched to a career-best 1.31 ERA and struck out 118 in 62 innings. He tore the patellar tendon in his right knee celebrating Puerto Rico’s win over the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic the following March and missed the 2023 season.

Last year, he was good (3.52 ERA, 20-for-27 saving games) but at times looked like a pitcher who had missed a year, even losing his closer job briefly after a rough outing in May. This year, he dominated. He pitched to a 1.63 ERA, saved 28 games in 31 chances and struck out 98 in 66 1/3 innings. He made the All-Star team.

The advanced stats for Díaz align with the eye test. He’s in the 99th percentile for xERA, xBA, whiff percentage and strikeout percentage, per Baseball Savant. He’s in the 94th percentile for barrel percentage.

A year ago, Tanner Scott, considered the best free agent closer available, signed a four-year, $72 million deal with the Dodgers, coming off a season where he pitched to a 1.75 ERA, struck out 84 in 72 innings and made the All-Star team. Scott, however, did not have the career resume of Díaz.

There will be several free agent closers whom the Mets could look into as a replacement if they can’t strike a deal with Díaz, including Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suarez and Kyle Finnegan. On the team, A.J. Minter saved 36 games in his eight years with Atlanta before joining the Mets and Clay Holmes saved 74 for the Yankees.

Díaz is third on the franchise career saves list (144) behind Armando Benitez (160) and John Franco (276). He is 24-22 with a 2.93 ERA over 328 1/3 innings in six seasons with New York.