Inside The Mets

Edwin Diaz's brutally honest Mets return stance raises eyebrows

Longtime New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz didn't mince words about his upcoming free agency.
Grant Young|
Edwin Diaz, of the Mets, is shown as he heads into the dugout after pitching the ninth inning. Diaz gave up a two-run home-run during the inning. The Mets went on to lose, 7-4. Sunday, August 11, 2019 Mets Vs Nationals
Edwin Diaz, of the Mets, is shown as he heads into the dugout after pitching the ninth inning. Diaz gave up a two-run home-run during the inning. The Mets went on to lose, 7-4. Sunday, August 11, 2019 Mets Vs Nationals | Kevin R. Wexler/NorthJersey.com via Imagn Content Services, LLC

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There's a case to be made that the New York Mets' offseason success hinges on whether they're able to re-sign star closer Edwin Diaz. This comes after Diaz opted out of the final two years and $38 million of his current contract on November 3, thus making him an unrestricted free agent.

While the Mets have other roster holes that need addressing, losing Diaz would be catastrophic, given that he's one of baseball's best relievers and arguably the only reliable guy that New York had in their bullpen last season. The good news is that Diaz has clearly thrived and presumably enjoyed his six seasons spent in Queens, which has made fans hopeful that he'd be open to returning.

Read more: Pete Alonso's apparent change of heart could spell trouble for Mets

Although the team shouldn't expect a hometown discount, given that Diaz has been projected to sign a gigantic contract this winter.

New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) reacts after striking out on August 4, 2025
Aug 4, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) reacts after striking out Cleveland Guardians second baseman Daniel Schneemann (not pictured) to end the top of the ninth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Edwin Diaz Gets Candid About Chances of Returning to Mets

On November 13, Laura Albanese of Newsday made a series of X posts quoting Diaz speaking about his free agency, which included some interesting comments about his chances of returning to Queens.

"Edwin Diaz says he'd like to return to the Mets and the chances are 50-50. No concrete details have been discussed. He wants the best deal possible for his family," Albanese initially wrote.

She then made two subsequent posts quoting Diaz directly; the first of which read, “Just get the best deal for my family... I love New York. I would love to stay in New York, but if I have to go another place, I would be happy. I want to win a ring, so wherever I go, I want to win a ring and enjoy the time," when speaking about his free agency priority.

Albanese followed this up with a third X post that read, “I like the [Mets] organization. You know, if they came with the best deal for me, I’d enjoy to stay with them, but at the end of the day, I don’t know what they’re thinking.”

This sentiment is fair enough from Diaz, as he's ultimately stating that he'll make the best free agency decision for himself and his family, and that he intends to prioritize winning (which is what essentially every other MLB free agent says and wants).

But Diaz saying there's a 50/50 chance he'll return right now is sure to raise eyebrows, and will likely make Mets fans hopeful their front office will offer him the contract he deserves.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Mets and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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