ByPeter Chawaga,
Contributor.
The New York Mets could lose one of their most dependable star players this winter as he explores a move to a team that made it all the way to the World Series last year.
The Mets saw closer Edwin Diaz opt out of his contract after another All-Star season to return to free agency and take perhaps his last stab at a new long-term contract. The Mets, like virtually every contending team, could certainly use an arm like Diaz’s in their bullpen moving forward, but it won’t be cheap.
“Diaz, who turns 32 in March, wants the same kind of deal he signed with the Mets in November 2022, according to a person briefed on his wishes — five years, $102 million,” Ken Rosenthal reported for The Athletic. “He opted out of the final two years and $38 million in the deal, and is certain to turn down the Mets’ one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer.”
