{"id":121135,"date":"2025-11-19T07:42:33","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T07:42:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=121135"},"modified":"2025-11-19T07:43:44","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T07:43:44","slug":"edwin-diaz-eyes-new-horizons-rejecting-mets-qualifying-offer-insiders-speculate-four-shocking-free-agency-destinations-that-could-reshape-the-closing-landscape-leaving-fans-buzzing-and-riv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=121135","title":{"rendered":"EDWIN D\u00cdAZ EYES NEW HORIZONS: Rejecting Mets\u2019 qualifying offer, insiders speculate four shocking free agency destinations that could reshape the closing landscape, leaving fans buzzing and rival teams scrambling to make their moves..ll"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"Edwin<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Edwin D\u00edaz is returning to free agency after turning down the qualifying offer from the Mets, which was worth $22 million. As such, he\u2019ll be free to sign with any team entering his age-32 season.<\/p>\n

D\u00edaz could return to the Mets, where he\u2019s played since 2019, but there will certainly be other teams in the mix to sign the talented reliever on the open market. After all, D\u00edaz is a three-time All-Star and a two-time Hoffman Reliever of the Year award winner, and he\u2019s coming off one of the best seasons of his career.<\/p>\n

In turning down the qualifying offer, D\u00edaz is signaling that he\u2019s in the market for a long-term deal. He could be in line to make close to, if not more than Tanner Scott received from the Dodgers last offseason, when he signed a four-year, $72 million deal.<\/p>\n

So, where could D\u00edaz end up signing? Let\u2019s take a look at a few fits for the veteran reliever.<\/p>\n

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Start off your day with SI:CYMI. dark. FREE NEWSLETTER. SI BTN Newsletter<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

A return to Queens would make plenty of sense for both sides. It doesn\u2019t come as a surprise that D\u00edaz turned down the qualifying offer, but that is in no way an indication that he doesn\u2019t want to continue playing in New York.<\/p>\n

The Mets\u2019 bullpen would be relatively barren without D\u00edaz owning the ninth inning. As it stands, the team has just three relievers under contract for the 2026 season: A.J. Minter, Richard Lovelady and Brooks Raley. They\u2019ll certainly address the position in the offseason, and D\u00edaz will be at the forefront of their scope.<\/p>\n

D\u00edaz has had a somewhat up-and-down tenure with the Mets, but he had a 1.63 ERA with 98 strikeouts and 28 saves last season. And with Steve Cohen still desperate to assemble a winner in Queens, letting D\u00edaz walk doesn\u2019t seem like a move that would help the organization achieve its goal of winning a World Series.<\/p>\n

Toronto Blue Jays<\/h2>\n

The Blue Jays made a run to the World Series with Jeff Hoffman at closer. D\u00edaz would be a significant upgrade over Hoffman, who blew seven saves in 2025 and had a 4.37 ERA. D\u00edaz is one of the most established closing pitchers in MLB, with 253 saves in his career. The 31-year-old didn\u2019t blow a single save last season, and having him out of the bullpen in Game 7 could\u2019ve been exactly what Toronto needed against the Dodgers.<\/p>\n

Spending big hasn\u2019t been a concern for the Blue Jays, who have been willing to dole out hefty contracts in order to compete with likes of the Dodgers and Yankees, among others.<\/p>\n

Hoffman is still under contract for another two years, but it may make more sense for him to return to the setup role in which he\u2019s previously excelled. In 2023 and \u201824 with the Phillies, Hoffman was one of MLB\u2019s best relief pitchers. He logged a 2.28 ERA across 122 appearances and even earned a trip to the All-Star Game in \u201824.<\/p>\n

The Dodgers will likely be in on a number of this offseason\u2019s biggest free agents as they look to continue their reign. The bullpen was by far their biggest cause for concern in 2025, and bringing in the reliable arm of D\u00edaz would instantly help to alleviate their woes.<\/p>\n

Of course, that would mean the Dodgers have nearly $40 million allotted to two relievers annually in Scott and D\u00edaz. If Scott can return to form after leading MLB with 10 blown saves last year, Los Angeles would have the league\u2019s most formidable one-two punch to handle the late innings, in addition to their top-tier starting rotation.<\/p>\n

If money isn\u2019t an issue, and it isn\u2019t, the Dodgers should not balk at the idea of bringing D\u00edaz to Hollywood. The idea of competing for championships alongside some of the biggest stars in MLB is anything but a tough sell, so it wouldn\u2019t be too surprising to see D\u00edaz pitching at Dodger Stadium in 2026.<\/p>\n

Chicago Cubs<\/h2>\n

The Cubs have plenty of relievers hitting free agency this offseason, so they\u2019ll certainly be in the market for new bullpen arms. The tandem of Danny Palencia and Andrew Kittredge was effective in 2025, but they could elevate the bullpen in a big way by bringing D\u00edaz on board.<\/p>\n

Palencia and Kittredge could work out as setup men, getting Chicago to the ninth inning for D\u00edaz to shut the door on opponents.<\/p>\n

The Cubs haven\u2019t had a stable closer since Craig Kimbrel in 2018. They\u2019ve tried to swing big at closer in the past, but the results haven\u2019t been there. They landed Ryan Pressly in a trade with the Astros ahead of the \u201825 season, but he quickly lost the closer\u2019s role and struggled in his lone year in Chicago. Diaz could be the long-term solution to their long-standing problem out of the back-end of the bullpen, though he\u2019d come at a significant cost.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Edwin D\u00edaz is back on the open market, and there will be plenty of teams looking to land one of MLB\u2019s best closers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":121138,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nEDWIN D\u00cdAZ EYES NEW HORIZONS: Rejecting Mets\u2019 qualifying offer, insiders speculate four shocking free agency destinations that could reshape the closing landscape, leaving fans buzzing and rival teams scrambling to make their moves..ll - News 365<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=121135\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"EDWIN D\u00cdAZ EYES NEW HORIZONS: Rejecting Mets\u2019 qualifying offer, insiders speculate four shocking free agency destinations that could reshape the closing landscape, leaving fans buzzing and rival teams scrambling to make their moves..ll - 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