What can we take away from the World Baseball Classic so far?
Mets' Edwin Diaz Likely to Miss 2023 Season After Surgery on Patellar Injury
Mar 16, 2023
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 15: Edwin Diaz #39 of Team Puerto Rico celebrates a 5-2 win against Team Dominican Republic during their World Baseball Classic Pool D game at loanDepot park on March 15, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz underwent successful surgery to repair a patellar tendon injury, the team announced Thursday.
Edwin Díaz underwent successful repair of the patellar tendon in his right knee today. He is expected to begin a formal rehab program in about a week. Additional updates will be provided as appropriate.
Diaz underwent an MRI on Thursday and determined surgery was necessary.
"It sucks, when you see a guy that works so hard like Edwin," Puerto Rico manager Yadier Molina told reporters after the game. "When you see him on the ground like that. It's sad."
The injury could be damaging for Puerto Rico as it tries to win the World Baseball Classic, but there is a greater concern for the Mets after they signed the pitcher to a five-year, $102 million contract in the offseason, the largest deal ever given to a reliever.
The 28-year-old earned the deal after a dominant 2022 season, finishing with a 1.31 ERA and 0.84 WHIP in 61 appearances, plus an incredible 17.1 strikeouts per nine innings. He earned his second All-Star selection and earned votes for both Cy Young and MVP in the National League.
After a disappointing first season in New York in 2019 following a trade from the Seattle Mariners, Diaz has a 2.27 ERA and 15.4 strikeouts per nine innings over his last three years.
Losing Diaz for an extended stretch is a major blow to the Mets pitching staff, especially with starter Jose Quintana expected to be out until July.
Adam Ottavino and David Robertson would likely be the top candidates to handle closing duties for the Mets heading into the start of the season.
The 2023 World Baseball Classic started with 20 participants, spread out in four pools of five from which only two teams would advance to the quarterfinals.…
Mets' Edwin Diaz Taken off in Wheelchair with Knee Injury from WBC Celebration
Mar 16, 2023
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 15: Edwin Diaz #39 of Team Puerto Rico is carried off the field after sustaining an injury while celebrating a 5-2 win against Team Dominican Republic during their World Baseball Classic Pool D game at loanDepot park on March 15, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
New York Mets reliever Edwin Díaz had to be taken off the field in a wheelchair on Wednesday night after pitching for Puerto Rico at the World Baseball Classic, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Díaz appeared to injury himself while celebrating with teammates after a 5-2 win over the Dominican Republic.
Edwin Diaz appears to have suffered an injury during Puerto Rico's celebration pic.twitter.com/G9Md6SBrEj
Díaz managed to get the save in a crucial victory over the Dominican Republic, striking out Ketel Marte, Jean Segura and Teoscar Hernández. His teammates surrounded him, and as they jumped together jubilantly, Díaz appeared to hurt himself.
His brother, Alexis Díaz, was brought to tears over the situation:
Alexis Diaz was brought to tears after his brother Edwin suffered an injury after Puerto Rico's win pic.twitter.com/y4zQ5Lod6F
Yadier Molina said the team would provide more updates after Díaz underwent testing this evening:
Yadier Molina says Edwin Diaz is still undergoing tests and they should have more info tonight. You can just sense the heaviness in Molina’s voice from the moment he sat down. pic.twitter.com/8C0cEoJ9lU
It was a must-win game for both Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, as Venezuela had already won Group D.
Puerto Rico's win sets them up with a matchup against Group C's top team, Mexico, while the loaded Dominican Republic is shockingly out of the tournament. That sends home superstars like Juan Soto, Julio Rodríguez, Manny Machado and Rafael Devers.
Meanwhile, the Mets and the team's fans will be very carefully monitoring the status of Díaz's knee going forward, with the start of the regular season just 15 days away. Losing Díaz to a significant injury would be a brutal blow for a Mets team with World Series hopes this season.
The 28-year-old is one of baseball's best closers, notching 32 saves in 35 attempts last season with a 1.31 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 118 strikeouts in 62 innings. It was his second straight season with 32 saves and his fourth season with at least that many saves. He cashed in with a five-year, $102 million deal in the offseason.
If Díaz is lost for a significant time, some combination of Adam Ottavino, David Robertson and Brooks Raley—once he's healthy—would likely handle save situations for the Mets.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 06: Event honoree Mariano Rivera attends the 9th Annual Maestro Cares Foundation Gala at Cipriani Wall Street on December 06, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)
People have compared New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz's iconic walk-up entrance to the song "Narco" to former New York Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera's entrance to Metallica's "Enter Sandman."
However, Rivera said during a recent interview with Fox 5 NY's Jennifer X. Williams that there is no comparison between the two.
"There's no comparison," Rivera said. "There's no comparison of that. That song was there for 17 years and many championships, so there's no comparison."
Mariano Rivera says there is NO comparison between his and Edwin Díaz’s entrance songs 😳
Díaz's entrance to the song "Narco" by Blasterjaxx and Timmy Trumpet gained steam during his impressive 2022 season that saw him post a 1.31 ERA, .839 WHIP and 118 strikeouts in 62 innings across 49 appearances. He also posted 32 saves.
Díaz' iconic entrance will continue to be popular in Queens for years to come, too, after he agreed to a five-year, $102 million deal with the Mets this offseason.
However, he's going to have to stick around far longer if he wants "Narco" to rival Rivera's entrance to "Enter Sandman," which spanned much of the Hall of Famer's 19-year career in the Bronx.
Who Should Steve Cohen's Mets Target Next with Payroll Nearing Unthinkable $400M?
Zachary D. Rymer
Dec 13, 2022
New York Mets' Pete Alonso (20) and Brandon Nimmo (9) gesture to Eduardo Escobar after they scored on a two-run single by Escobar during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
One might say that the New York Mets have left nothing to chance with their offseason dealings, but that would imply that Steve Cohen is finished pulling from his $17.5 billion fortune to finance a payroll that's already in record territory.
What if he's not?
Even as is, the receipt for the Mets' free-agent shopping comes to a capital-G, capital-T Grand Total of $461.7 million. That's for six players with varying degrees of star power, headlined by three-time American League Cy Young Award winner and future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander on a record-tying $43.3 million-per-year deal:
Re-signed CF Brandon Nimmo for eight years, $162 million
Re-signed RHP Edwin Díaz for five years, $102 million
Signed RHP Justin Verlander for two years, $86.7 million
Signed RHP Koudai Senga for five years, $75 million
Signed LHP José Quintana for two years, $26 million
Signed RHP David Robertson for one year, $10 million
According to FanGraphs, it all adds up to a projected Opening Day payroll of $335 million that towers over the Los Angeles Dodgers' record-setting $280.8 million Opening Day payroll from last season. And if anything, it undersells what the Mets are set to spend.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post recently floated $400 million as a possibility for the Mets' expenses for 2023, and they're already kinda-sorta there. For luxury-tax purposes, they're slated to open next season with a $349.6 million payroll. That's far beyond even the $293 million barrier that they call "the Cohen tax."
The bottom line, as summarized by David Lennon of Newsday:
Steve Cohen has invested roughly $430 million (including luxury tax) in #Mets for '23 season.
NFL salary cap: $208M NBA salary cap: $123M NHL salary cap: $82.5M
Cohen is changing the game when it comes to an owners' financial commitment to winning.
Say what you will about Cohen, so long as you don't say he's unserious about delivering the Mets' first World Series championship since 1986. He's not spending all this money just for kicks.
And yet the Mets still have more to do before they can declare themselves the winners of the 2022-23 offseason, much less the team to beat in 2023.
The Mets Haven't Yet Crossed Off All Their Needs
New York Mets owners Steve and Alexandra Cohen wait for the team's baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
That the Mets have already done so much on the offseason market isn't exactly surprising, and for two reasons.
It just wouldn't have made sense for Cohen—whose net worth dwarfs every other MLB owner's—to take his foot off the gas after what befell his team in 2022. His $282 million investment in payroll did yield 101 wins in the regular season—but only one in the playoffs. Suboptimal, as they say.
Otherwise, suffice it to say that you can't not go to work when you stand to lose Nimmo, Díaz, Jacob deGrom, Chris Bassitt, Taijuan Walker and Adam Ottavino via free agency.
Cut to now, and the Mets have not only avoided disaster but also deflected it. Their rotation, in particular, is arguably upgraded even sans deGrom, Bassitt and Walker.
In putting up a 1.75 ERA as a 39-year-old coming off Tommy John surgery, Verlander effectively etched another line in his Hall of Fame plaque. Quintana had a 2.93 ERA in his own right, while Senga and his "ghost fork" were responsible for a 1.89 ERA in Japan.
With Díaz—who struck out 118 of the 235 batters he faced in 2022—back in the closer's role and Robertson there to set up, the bullpen also looks solid. The offense, meanwhile, consists of the same Nimmo-, Francisco Lindor- and Pete Alonso-led group that tied for fifth in scoring last season.
Nonetheless, FanGraphs' WAR projections for 2023 still put the Mets (51.3) a hair behind the San Diego Padres (52.2). Break it down position by position relative to the average projection, and the Mets' shortcomings are easy to spot:
The Mets are fine on the pitching front, but those red bars at catcher, third base and designated hitter underscore a general need for at least one more bat. Maybe two, given that Mike Puma of the Post isn't wrong to have doubts about the outfield.
For that matter, SNY's John Harper likewise isn't wrong in thinking that even the bullpen "still needs work." Because why settle for solid when lights-out is better?
If the Mets Want to Play It Safe
New York Yankees' Andrew Benintendi reacts after hitting an RBI single during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Though the Mets still have the option of plucking, say, Carlos Correa, Dansby Swanson or Carlos Rodón from the top of the free-agent market, let's assume for now that Cohen has already gone far enough to not go full "drunken sailor."
Fortunately, the next tier of the market still features two capable left fielders who would fit well on the Mets: Andrew Benintendi and Michael Brantley. Both are contact-oriented hitters the likes of which the Mets quite like, while Benintendi has the added benefit of being a Gold Glove Award defender.
If the Mets are comfortable shifting Jeff McNeil, the reigning National League batting champ, into a super-utility role, they could otherwise tab somebody else to play second base. To this end, Jean Segura and Adam Frazier are two more high-contact hitters with effective gloves.
Eduardo Escobar seems less well-suited for a super-utility role, but former Met Justin Turner would be a sensible target if they would rather have someone else at third base. He doesn't have much in the way of power anymore, but he can still do patience and contact.
Then there are various platoon options, including Brandon Drury, Evan Longoria and J.D. Martinez from the right side and Matt Carpenter and David Peralta from the left. Each was quite good against opposite-side pitching in 2022:
As for relievers, Ottavino is still out there. But if the Mets would rather save money, Michael Fulmer might do just as well in the right-handed specialist role that Ottavino filled in 2022. Righty batters hit just .188 against the former Mets prospect last season.
If the Mets Want to Go for Broke
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 13: Carlos Correa #4 of the Minnesota Twins celebrates his two-run home run as he rounds the bases against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning of the game at Target Field on September 13, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Royals 6-3. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Yet even as unlikely as another seismic move may seem, at this point we should all know better than to put such a move past the Mets.
To wit, there are still persistent whispers that they are in on Correa:
Steve Phillips on MLB Network: #Giants and #Twins the favorites for Carlos Correa but the #Yankees and #Mets could "dabble" as well.
This would require convincing Correa to move from shortstop to third base in deference to Lindor, yet the word last offseason was that he would be willing to make that move for the "perfect situation." With the right offer, the Mets could perhaps be that team.
Just think of a Correa-Lindor partnership on the left side of the infield. In addition to two of Puerto Rico's finest, they have six All-Star nods, three Gold Gloves and 339 home runs between them. They're also just 28 and 29 years old.
The Mets could otherwise kick the tires on All-Star center fielder Bryan Reynolds, who wants out of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Especially if they were to put No. 1-ranked catching prospect Francisco Álvarez on the table, the Mets could meet Pittsburgh's reported "[Juan] Soto-type" asking price.
Heck with it. Let's throw another superstar-caliber hitter out there: Rafael Devers.
The Boston Red Sox want to extend the slugging third baseman, but the frankly insulting offer they made Xander Bogaerts before he left for San Diego bodes ill for extension talks that haven't been going well to begin with.
Should the writing on the wall that Devers isn't going to stay with Boston beyond his walk year in 2023 get even easier to read, the Mets would be an ideal trading partner if the Red Sox decide it's time to go the Mookie Betts route. If not Álvarez, the Mets could dangle well-regarded (and, notably, MLB-ready) third base prospect Brett Baty.
If Correa and Reynolds are far-fetched ideas, then Devers is surely a farther-fetched one. Yet it doesn't seem like a reach to label the odds of one of these things happening as "non-zero." And, well, can anyone really blame us for thinking so big?
Cohen and the Mets clearly have the resources to make big things happen. And with him and team so firmly in the mood to make such things happen, it would be a disappointment if they stopped before absolutely nothing was left to chance.
Edwin Díaz's $102M Mets Contract Includes Deferred Payments Through 2042
Nov 11, 2022
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 04: Edwin Diaz #39 of the New York Mets celebrates the final out during game one of a double header against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field on October 04, 2022 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The New York Mets defeated the Washington Nationals 4-2. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Edwin Díaz will continue to be paid by the New York Mets for a very long time.
The star closer's five-year, $102 million deal with the Mets, which was announced Wednesday, includes $26.5 million in deferred payments until 2042, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).
Díaz's contract also includes a team option for 2028 that could make the total value of the deal worth $118.25 million, though none of that money would be deferred. He has player options for 2026 and 2027, though he must decide whether or not to pick those up in 2025.
The Mets will defer $5.5 million per year from 2023-25 and $5 million in both 2026 and 2027. Díaz will receive $2.65 million each year in deferred money from 2033 through 2042.
Mets general manager Billy Eppler told reporters this week that deferred payments were a big reason why a deal was reached:
“On our end, I don’t want to use the word ‘deal breaker,’ but it was a very big element for us,” Eppler said. “We needed to have that in there for the CBT [competitive balance tax] purposes.”
Díaz's contract with the Mets set the record for a reliever. Aroldis Chapman's five-year, $86 million deal signed with the New York Yankees after the 2016 season was previously the high for a bullpen arm.
Díaz has been with the Mets since the 2019 season after beginning his career with the Seattle Mariners in 2016. He put together the best season of his career in 2022, posting a 1.31 ERA, 0.839 WHIP and 118 strikeouts in 62 innings across 61 appearances. In addition, he recorded 32 saves.
In his four seasons with the Mets, the 28-year-old has posted a 3.20 ERA, 1.104 WHIP and 96 saves in 216 games.
With Díaz locked up, the Mets can focus on trying to re-sign their other high-profile free agents, including Jacob deGrom and Brandon Nimmo. DeGrom figures to receive a massive deal.
Report: Aaron Judge, 8 More MLB Players Likely to Get 9-Figure Free-Agent Contracts
Nov 10, 2022
Aaron Judge
Record-breaking New York Yankees outfielder
Aaron Judge reportedly headlines a group of nine MLB players expected
to receive contracts of at least $100 million this offseason.
One player, New York Mets closer Edwin
Diaz, already joined the nine-figure club by signing a $102 million
extension. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported other members of the group expected to join
Diaz and Judge via free agency, which opens Thursday at 5 p.m. ET:
SS Trea Turner (Los Angeles Dodgers)
SS Carlos Correa (Minnesota Twins)
SS Xander Bogaerts (Boston Red Sox)
SS Dansby Swanson (Atlanta Braves)
OF Brandon Nimmo (New York Mets)
SP Carlos Rodón (San Francisco Giants)
SP Jacob deGrom (New York Mets)
Nimmo is the only name on the list that
may catch some people by surprise given his modest counting stats
across seven seasons with the Mets. He's recorded just 63 home runs
and 23 stolen bases in 608 career appearances.
That said, the 29-year-old center
fielder gets on base at a high rate (.385 career on-base percentage)
and plays solid defense (six outs above average in 2022, per
FanGraphs).
Agent Scott Boras said Wednesday a "majority" of teams have already called him about Nimmo.
"You are looking at a guy that there
are no center fielders in our game that are available," Boras told
reporters. "And then you add leadoff to that and then you add ...
on-base percentage to that, and he's an excellent defender and then
also he can play in New York. When you have those elements that are
there, he becomes a very integral part of what we found for a team to
win 100 games. He's a very proven commodity and there are very few
that can replace him."
Otherwise, two intriguing storylines
early in free agency will be whether the Yankees can keep pace in the
Judge sweepstakes and which star shortstop signs first to set the
market at the position.
New York can't afford to lose Judge and
expect to remain a top-tier contender in the American League. He
carried the club's offense for extended stretches in 2022 en route to
setting the new AL home run record with 62.
As Boras alluded, there aren't many great options available in center field, and even the
dropoff from Judge to Nimmo is rather significant. So the ability to
re-sign the 6'7'' slugger is a make-or-break situation for the
Yanks.
Meanwhile, all four of the top-tier
shortstops available should surpass the $100 million
mark if they're willing to sign long-term deals.
Swanson, who's often ranked fourth on
the list and could sign first to help set the baseline for the
others, finds himself in a similar situation to Freddie Freeman last
offseason. He's spent his entire career with the Braves but hits the
market without a new deal.
"Business is business, man. It's not
always the fun part about the game," Swanson said last week on 92.9
The Game. "I wish it was just one plus one, but it never seems to
be that way."
Freeman left to sign with
the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Swanson may follow him out the Truist
Park door, leaving Atlanta with a void at shortstop.
All told, a lot of money is going to
get spent over the next few months and, given the high-end talent
available, the clubs willing to open their checkbooks could put
themselves at the forefront of the 2023 championship chase.
Edwin Diaz is about to get PAID. The right-hander has always had electric stuff dating back to his time with the Seattle Mariners, and that stuff was on full...
