When it comes to constructing their 2026 bullpen, retaining Edwin Díaz should be Job 1 for the Mets. He’s the best available closer, has some of the game’s nastiest stuff, and has proven he can weather high-pressure moments and rough times in the roil of New York’s baseball cauldron.
OK, so we’ve already given away the top spot of our list of free agent relievers the Mets should target this winter. But this one is that obvious, isn’t it?
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The rest is a little more tricky, because if Díaz re-signs, the Mets must hunt skilled setup men for a bullpen with multiple vacancies. If he goes elsewhere, the Mets need a big-time closer. Our list will reflect both categories.
The Mets were 15th in bullpen ERA (3.93) last season and their relievers allowed 35 percent of inherited runners to score, tied for the fourth-highest percentage in the majors. The Mets also threw the third-most relief innings in baseball last year.
So they have significant bullpen work to do. Here’s a list of five potential targets to get them started:
5. Flushing is Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood
You may feel some lingering dissatisfaction with the Mets’ relief moves at last summer’s trade deadline. It wasn’t Tyler Rogers’ fault. He had a 2.30 ERA in 28 games for the Mets, got a ton of ground balls, per usual, and walked three and gave up one homer in 27.1 innings. He does not throw hard – his fastball averaged 83.5 miles-per-hour last season – but his sinker-slider combo is hard to pick up. His pitches come at hitters from grass level because of his submarine arm angle, giving him a unique look that would diversify any bullpen. The righty, who turns 35 in December, has proven durable with five straight seasons of at least 68 appearances, including an MLB-best 81 last season. Hello, again?
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4. We like Kyle’s style
Since Kyle Finnegan has three seasons of 20-plus saves on his Baseball Reference page, he’ll probably get market attention as a closer, especially after a sparkling second-half with Detroit following a midseason trade. But perhaps the 34-year-old righty would set up in the right circumstance and maybe that’s the Mets. Finnegan tweaked his pitch mix with the Tigers, moving his splitter up in his arsenal, and had a 1.50 ERA in 18 innings. He gave up just nine hits in that span and did not give up a run in his first 12 appearances with the Kitties. Overall, in 56 appearances between Washington and Detroit in 2025, Finnegan had a 3.47 ERA and 24 saves.
3. Rapid Robert
If Díaz departs, Robert Suarez profiles as an easy answer to the Mets’ closer spot. With San Diego last season, he led the NL with 40 saves and has one of the game’s best fastballs, a 98.6-mph monster that held hitters to a feeble .169 average. It’s nicely complemented by a sinker with around the same heat and a changeup in the 90s. He raised his strikeout rate and lowered his walk rate last season, an enticing combo, and was an All-Star for the second straight year. He did not get a qualifying offer, so there’s no draft compensation for the Mets to fret over. If Díaz does return, it’d be fun to think about the Mets adding Suarez as a smothering setup man, but that seems unlikely given that Suarez is easily the second-best closing option on the market, even though he’ll be 35 in March.
Oct 7, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Devin Williams (38) delivers a pitch in the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game three of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
2. New York, New York?
Devin Williams spent last season with the Yankees and notched a career-worst, by far, 4.79 ERA. Losing the closer’s job is no way to build a strong platform for free agency. But Williams still has stuff – his “Airbender” changeup remains difficult for hitters to cope with, and he struck out 90 batters and allowed only 45 hits in 62 innings for the Yankees. ESPN reported that the Mets are in on Williams as part of their bullpen remake. He could close or possibly set up if Díaz is back.
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David Stearns, the Mets’ front office boss, was with Williams in Milwaukee when the righty was becoming one of the best relievers in baseball. Whatever happens, the Mets must evaluate whether the bright lights and big city contributed to Williams’ struggles in pinstripes. After last season’s disappointment in Queens, there figures to be plenty of pressure and scrutiny for the 2026 Mets, especially back-end relievers whose bad nights tend to be loud.
1. Sweet reunion
Bring “Sugar” back. Yes, Díaz will be 32 in March and his hellacious stuff won’t last forever. Giving him a contract of four years or so might feel uncomfortable, but he also gives a club that has won exactly two World Series in its history a significant asset in its Fall Classic quest.
Díaz had a 1.63 ERA last season and allowed 37 hits in 66.1 innings while striking out 98, plenty of evidence that he’s back to his old self after his WBC injury. Batters hit .133 against his 97.2-mph fastball and .179 against his 89-mph slider. Obviously, he’s a very uncomfortable at-bat and, in what was a combustible year for Mets relievers, Díaz provided so much security.
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There figures to be big competition for Díaz from big-time contenders, which could add some urgency to the Mets’ Díaz pursuit. The Blue Jays lost Game 7 of the World Series, in part because their closer gave up a key home run. That closer, Jeff Hoffman, allowed two homers per nine innings last season. Díaz, who once had his own longball woes, allowed 0.5 HR/9. Toronto is rich, stacked, and eager to make another run. Do the Mets want to be the ones facing Díaz in big October games?
