Edwin Díaz: Odds to Return to Mets at 50-50

Speaking at the MLB Awards ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada, former Mets closer Edwin Díaz addressed his impending free agency. 

Specifically, Diaz spoke on the possibility of returning to the Mets. As he hits the open market, the 2025 All-Star is set for his first true go through free agency, leaving the door open for a departure from Queens.

Díaz told reporters on Thursday that there have already been discussions between his representation and the Mets regarding a new contract. When prompted to discuss further, he put 50/50 odds on him returning to the Mets. Díaz opted out of his five-year contract with the Mets in the early days of November.

In his sixth season as a Met, Díaz turned in one of his best. While posting a 1.63 ERA, he recorded 28 saves, struck out 98, walked just 2.8 batters per nine innings, and set a new Mets career high with 66.1 innings. As the Mets’ bullpen took many different shapes and forms throughout the season, Díaz’s performance was the true constant. Following a strugglesome 2024 season coming off surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon, the Puerto Rican sensation solidified himself once again as baseball’s elite closer.

Díaz leads a gaggle of Mets relievers who have recently become free agents. The only leverage reliever from the 2025 team who is under contract for the 2026 season is Brooks Raley, giving Mets leadership an almost blank slate to fill out their bullpen on. He leads a heavy free agent class from last year’s Mets roster, with the likes of Pete Alonso and Trevor Rogers also re-entering free agency.

The market for relievers is solid heading into the early stages of the 2025 off-season, but Díaz is far and away the best name available. Díaz is said by The Athletic to be looking for a contract similar to the one he signed with the Mets following the 2022 season, which would put him at $102 million entering his age-32 season. Díaz has spent the last seven seasons in New York and has been very outspoken about his love for the Mets team and his appreciation for the franchise and its leadership.

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