Inside The Mets

Mets make a decision on Edwin Díaz qualifying offer

The Mets have extended the qualifying offer to their All-Star closer, Edwin Díaz.
Logan VanDine|
Sep 18, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the ninth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Sep 18, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the ninth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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New York Mets

On a day in which free agency officially opened across Major League Baseball, the New York Mets have made their first move.

Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported that the Mets have officially tendered the $22.05 million qualifying offer to All-Star closer Edwin Díaz. He is, however, expected to reject the offer after making $21.155 million last season.

This news comes after it was announced this week that Díaz was opting out of the remaining two years and $38 million left on his contract that he signed with New York in November 2022. The hard-throwing righty will now hit the open market this offseason with the expectation of signing the largest reliever contract in MLB history.

Díaz has been with the Mets since the 2019 season after coming over from the Seattle Mariners in a blockbuster trade in December 2018. Despite registering a 5.59 ERA during his first season in Flushing, he has since established himself as one of the most dominant closers in all of baseball.

Read More: How Mets can deter other teams from signing Edwin Díaz

The 31-year-old's best two seasons with the Mets came in 2022 and 2025, earning All-Star selections in both seasons. In 61 appearances during the 2022 campaign, Díaz converted 32 of 35 save chances, logging a career-best 1.31 ERA and 118 strikeouts across 62 innings pitched.

Despite missing all of 2023 after tearing his patellar tendon during the World Baseball Classic and turning in a shaky 2024 season, Díaz was able to bounce back this past season. In 62 games, the righty converted 28 of 31 save opportunities with a 1.63 ERA, 98 punchouts and a 0.87 WHIP across 66.1 innings of work. He was also named National League Reliever of the Month for May this past season after recording five saves across 11.1 scoreless innings.

Díaz and all players across baseball have until November 18 to decide whether or not to accept that qualifying offer, which he is expected to reject. If Díaz does end up leaving, the Mets would receive draft compensation.

Díaz, however, reiterated after the Mets' season came to an end on September 28 that he would love to come back next season and beyond. Since joining the Mets, Díaz has posted a 2.93 ERA with 144 saves; the latter are the third most in franchise history behind Armando Benitez (160) and former team captain John Franco, who holds the ballclub's all-time lead in saves with 276.

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Logan VanDine
LOGAN VANDINE

Logan VanDine is a contributing writer for On SI's Mets. Logan is a graduate of Rider University where he majored in Sports Media and minored in Sports Studies. During his time at Rider, Logan worked for Rider's radio station, 107.7 The Bronc as a sports host, producer and broadcaster, and for the school's paper: The Rider News. He began his time with The Rider News as a section writer for sports and was a copy editor for two years followed by being one of the sports editors during his senior year. Logan also placed third in the New Jersey Press Foundation Awards for sports feature writing. Aside from his work at On SI, he is also a writer for FanSided covering the New York Giants and Mets and also covers the Giants for Total Apex Sports. Give him a follow on X: @VandineLogan

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