Right after the Mets signed Devin Williams to a three-year deal worth $51 million on Monday night, the attention turned to what the acquisition of the elite late-inning reliever meant for the future of free agent Edwin Diaz.
The answer?
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The Mets are still in on Diaz, SNY’s Andy Martino reported shortly after Williams agreed to move from the Bronx to Queens.
If the Mets are able to retain Diaz, it will give them an elite 1-2 punch at the end of games, with Williams setting up (a role he excelled in for a large part of his time with the Brewers) and Diaz closing.
Per Will Sammon of The Athletic, Diaz is seeking a five-year deal, with the Mets’ preference being a contract for three years or so.
It’s fair to believe a compromise at four years is possible — especially with Williams (who profiles as a setup man if Diaz is retained) already getting three.
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In addition to the Mets, multiple reports have linked the Dodgers and Blue Jays to Diaz.
As it pertains to the Dodgers’ interest, Martino noted on Monday that the talk at last month’s GM Meetings was that Los Angeles could be reluctant to offer a significant amount of years to Diaz.
The Blue Jays, who already have closer Jeff Hoffman, have recently been linked to free agent Pete Fairbanks — who would likely cost significantly less than Diaz.
Some have speculated that the Yankees could also be interested in Diaz, though there hasn’t been any recent reporting linking them.
Diaz has repeatedly discussed his affinity for the Mets organization, and Stearns has said multiple times this offseason that he would “love” to retain both Diaz and fellow free agent Pete Alonso.
Whether Diaz returns remains to be seen, but the door remains very much open despite the signing of Williams.
