The New York Mets have some key players hitting the open market, most notably, Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz, who both opted out of their current contracts.
Alonso and Díaz are both searching for better deals after putting together great seasons. Díaz looked more like himself after a down year in 2024. One full year removed from a season-ending knee injury, Díaz posted a 1.63 ERA and was named an All-Star for the third time in his career.
He exercised his opt-out, and the Mets extended him a qualifying offer, which he is sure to decline. He had two years and $38 million remaining on his deal. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel projects that opting out will pay off for Díaz. McDaniel projected a four-year, $60 million deal for him.
“His underlying numbers and peripherals have been consistent over his past two seasons — matching those of an elite reliever with a mid-2s ERA — but his ERAs have fluctuated, with an ERA of 3.52 in 2024 (driven by a spike in home run rate) but then 1.63 in 2025, despite similar components of his performance both years,” wrote McDaniel. “This is likely a three- or four-year deal that should eclipse $50 million in total.”
Díaz is a three-time All-Star and a two-time Reliever of the Year. He has won the award in both the American and National League. He has been one of the best closers in baseball over the course of his career, and the Mets would be wise to bring him back on a new deal.
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