Five Potential Edwin Díaz Replacements
After his magnificent 2025 campaign, Edwin Díaz is expected to opt out of the remaining three years and $57 million left on his contract. While the 31-year-old has expressed his desire to stay in New York, the Mets need to have a backup plan in case Díaz signs elsewhere. There are many quality relievers on the market that will cost significantly less than Díaz, and these five are worth keeping an eye on.
Kyle Finnegan
Finnegan was surprisingly non-tendered by the Nationals last offseason, but ended up re-signing with them during spring training. He posted a pedestrian 4.38 ERA in 39 innings for Washington, but pitched much better after getting traded to Detroit at the trade deadline, recording a 1.50 ERA with 23 strikeouts against four walks in 18 innings. Overall, Finnegan saved 24 games and posted a 3.47 ERA on the season, but his 3.16 xERA and 3.12 FIP indicate he got a bit unlucky. He’s entering his age-34 season, so it’s hard to envision him getting more than a one or two-year contract.
Devin Williams
Yes, Devin Williams had the worst year of his career in 2025. However, his 3.07 xERA, 2.68 FIP, and 2.95 xFIP make him look like an obvious bounce-back candidate. Williams still had a strong 34.7% strikeout rate, and his walk rate dropped below 10% for the first time since 2020. He looked more like his old self in the playoffs, tossing four scoreless innings with a 100% strand rate. Williams and David Stearns are familiar with each other from their time in Milwaukee, and perhaps Stearns gives his former closer a prove-it deal to try to get him back on track.
Brad Keller
Keller enjoyed a breakout season in his first full year as a reliever. He posted a 2.07 ERA with 75 strikeouts against 22 walks and allowed just four home runs in 69 2/3 innings. He also assumed the Cubs’ closer’s role when Daniel Palencia got injured late in the season. His average fastball velocity skyrocketed from 93.8 mph to 97.2, and his underlying metrics suggest that his performance wasn’t a fluke. Keller’s strong performance continued into the postseason, in which he allowed just one earned run and recorded two saves in 5 2/3 innings. Heading into his age-30 season, Keller will likely receive a multi-year contract to be a high-leverage reliever.
Kenley Jansen
In his age-37 season, Jansen showed few signs of age, posting a 2.59 ERA in 59 innings and going 29-for-30 in save opportunities. He was particularly great in the second half, boasting a 1.48 ERA and just a 0.616 WHIP over 24 1/3 innings. Jansen is MLB’s active saves leader at 476 and is just two saves behind Hall of Famer Lee Smith for third on the all-time saves list. Jansen’s biggest weakness was the home run ball, but he allowed just two in the second half of the season. He’s said his goal is to reach 500 career saves, and he could hit that milestone in 2026. Jansen also brings an impressive postseason résumé, ranking second behind Mariano Rivera with 20 saves and owning a 2.20 ERA with 94 strikeouts in 65 1/3 innings. Given his age, Jansen will likely get just a one-year contract, but he’s shown he can still be effective.
Michael Kopech
This is the riskiest option, as Kopech missed most of 2025 with injuries and struggled with his control in his limited sample size on the field. However, he showed off how dominant he can be down the stretch in 2024, posting a 1.13 ERA with 29 strikeouts over 24 innings and going 6-for-6 in save opportunities. Kopech was also a workhorse for Dave Roberts in the playoffs, appearing in 10 games and allowing three earned runs over nine innings. The flamethrowing righty seems like a candidate for a one-year deal to see if he can right himself, but he’s shown in the past that he has a high ceiling as a reliever.
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