MMO Trade or Hold: Edwin Díaz

Throughout this winter, the MMO staff will be discussing whether various players on the New York Mets’ roster should remain with the club for 2022 or get traded elsewhere. The first player up is none other than reliever, Edwin Díaz.

Dilip Sridhar Says: Send Him Away

Putting my thoughts on the trade aside, I think it is time to close the books on Edwin Díaz’s tenure as a Met. He was acquired to be an elite reliever in 2018 but he has never sniffed that level of dominance in Queens. He has great stretches but is also prone to stretches of failure due to his lack of command. With that being said, he is still a very good reliever, but in my opinion, he will be a waste of resources on the 2022 Mets. If New York were in a different position than they are currently, I would probably change my answer as to whether or not they should keep Edwin.

The underlying numbers for Díaz were still very good in 2021. Some team in a win-now mode will give up a very good prospect for a reliever who has a 2.63 xERA, 2.48 FIP, and a 34.6% strikeout rate. The Mets are just not that team. As evidenced in the team’s poor stretches, Díaz only has value when he is pitching in a tied game or with a lead. In that 13-game stretch against the Dodgers and Giants, Díaz only pitched in those scenarios three times, and for one of those times, it was with a five-run lead. Having a good closer on a team that cannot get leads to the ninth inning is like having a great car with no place to park it.

Here is the summary as to why I think the Mets should move on: The Mets still have a long way to go before becoming a World Series-caliber team. Edwin Díaz still has value and can probably net a top-100 prospect. The biggest thing for me is that relievers can be extremely volatile. Did anyone think Aaron Loup would pitch like prime Andrew Miller in 2021? I would rather have the top-100 prospect and $12 million to spend on multiple relievers or starting pitching than just having Edwin Díaz.

Connor Landazuri Says: Hold Onto Him

The New York Mets should keep their closer, Edwin Díaz. There are many reasons why Mets fans need to look at him in a positive light and be excited to have him back as the anchor of the 2022 Mets bullpen.

For starters, the Metropolitans are in a favorable position with Díaz’s contract situation going into this offseason — he’s entering his third and final year of arbitration eligibility. In 2021, Díaz earned $7 million, and when you stack that number next to his stats, he is amongst the best closers and relievers in Major League Baseball. Díaz’s 32 saves were seventh-best in the majors and fifth-best in the National League, all while pitching the 67th-most innings pitched (62 2/3 IP) by all relievers in the majors.

It is not his fault the Mets’ offense couldn’t put him in the position to pitch more innings, but it is to Díaz’s credit that he made efficient work with his opportunities. Of course he had his struggles, but over the course of 162 games, it’s unfair to expect anyone to be perfect. Díaz was 32 for 38 in save situations, and while you would like him to finish off the job more often, this is still impressive for a 27-year-old. Díaz pitched to a respectable 3.45 ERA, but his Expected Earned Run Average (xERA) was 2.63.

When you consider everything, Díaz is a young, effective, and contract-friendly pitcher who will be pitching in a contract year in 2022, which could lead to some added edge to his game. The Mets would find themselves in another positional hole this offseason if they traded their closer, which is not ideal for a team who’s owner declared a five-year window in which he would like to win a championship. You want to get top prospects, but it seems like there are other avenues and positional log jams that New York has to deal with compared to the closer position. Edwin Díaz is a guy you want to keep.

What do you think, Mets fans? Should New York keep Edwin Díaz on its roster or move on from the reliever?