![\"Mets](\"https:\/\/empiresportsmedia.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/width=1220,height=813,fit=crop,quality=90,gravity=auto,sharpen=1,metadata=none,format=auto,onerror=redirect\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/MLB-St.-Louis-Cardinals-at-New-York-Mets-edwin-diaz-25970573.jpg\")
Those are elite numbers, the kind of stats that make teams open their checkbooks. According to The Athletic, a four-year, $80 million contract could be what it takes to keep D\u00edaz in Queens\u2014if not more.<\/p>\n
That figure would make him one of the highest-paid relievers in baseball, but considering how few shutdown closers exist, the Mets might have no choice.<\/p>\n
Extension or qualifying offer?<\/h2>\n
D\u00edaz is expected to decline a $22 million qualifying offer, and understandably so. \u201cAfter nearly matching his magical 2022 season with another dominant performance, the expectation is that Edwin D\u00edaz will opt out of the remaining two years and $37 million in his contract,\u201d wrote The Athletic\u2019s<\/em> Will Sammon and Tim Britton. \u201cIf D\u00edaz enters free agency, expect the New York Mets to issue him a qualifying offer. Just don\u2019t expect D\u00edaz to take the $22 million.\u201d<\/p>\n The Mets would love to avoid losing their closer over a short-term negotiation. Given how volatile bullpens can be, locking up a proven arm like D\u00edaz should be less of a luxury and more of a necessity.<\/p>\n For all their needs\u2014rotation depth, lineup consistency, and defensive upgrades\u2014D\u00edaz represents something rare: certainty. When he\u2019s on the mound, the Mets know what they\u2019re getting.<\/p>\n He\u2019s more than just a closer; he\u2019s an anchor. His fastball still touches the upper 90s, his slider remains devastating, and his confidence under pressure is unmatched.<\/p>\n Letting him walk would leave a hole that no amount of mid-tier relievers could patch. The Mets have spent years searching for stability, and D\u00edaz is one of the few who consistently delivers it.<\/p>\n It\u2019s simple: if the Mets want to compete deep into October, Edwin D\u00edaz can\u2019t just be a discussion point\u2014he needs to be part of the plan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The New York Mets are heading into a pivotal offseason, and one of their biggest questions revolves around the back end of their bullpen. Edwin D\u00edaz, the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":114700,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-114697","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy retaining D\u00edaz should be a priority<\/h2>\n