While formal discussions have yet to take place between the two parties, reliever Edwin Diaz has made it clear that he would love to sign a contract extension with the Mets, he told the NY Post.
Diaz is set to be a free agent after this season and he’s likely to be in demand after what has been a stellar 2022 season in Queens so far. The veteran, who has a base salary of $10,200,000 this year, has said that no talks have taken place between his camp and the Mets about an extension, but he would welcome the chance to extend his stay in Queens beyond this season.
“If they give me the chance, I’d love to stay here,” Diaz said. “My family feels comfortable here in New York. I feel comfortable here with the team. I like my teammates. Looking forward to see if I can stay here.”
It would be wise for the Mets to at least think about extending one of the elite shutdown arms in the game, with Diaz currently in the midst of an historic season. The closer currently has 18 saves on the season with a sparkling 1.89 ERA, and he’s on pace to break his career high in strikeouts of 124 that he set in 2018. He currently has 66 on the year.
Diaz currently has a strikeouts-per-nine-innings mark of 17.8, with the all-time record belonging to Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman, who struck out 17.7 per nine innings in 2014 while with the Reds.
Jun 14, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) reacts after defeating the Chicago Cubs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
That’s just how dominant Diaz has been this year.
Furthermore, Diaz has allowed just one run in his last 14 2/3 innings and he’s also punched out at least two batters in his of his past five appearances. His fastball has returned to being a lethal weapon, as has his slider, which he has thrown 54.4 percent of the time this year.
After allowing 15 home runs in 58 innings in a tough first year in Queens, Diaz has returned to the form that made him one of the most feared closers in the game while with the Marlins. He’s truly at the peak of his powers right now and he’s arguably one of the best lockdown closers in the game.
As such, he would be one of the most sought-after arms in Free Agency and you would think the Mets would want to lock down their ace closer in order to aid their bid of winning the World Series within the next couple of years. However, it seems that both parties seem content to play the season out before reaching the bargaining table.
“I’m focusing on the season right now,” Diaz said. “I want to help this team to win, and let’s see what happens in the future.”
