Mets made right decision with Edwin Diaz amid Dodgers' disaster originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Mets are not having a good 2026 MLB season. They've sold a ton of their players at the MLB trade deadline; they're likely to finish near the bottom of the standings, and most of their offseason moves haven't worked out.
But just because the additions of Jorge Polanco, Freddy Peralta, and Luis Robert Jr., among others, haven't gone to plan doesn't mean they didn't make some good decisions this offseason. One of those great decisions was a signing they didn't actually make.
The Mets letting Edwin Diaz walk in free agency to join the Dodgers is looking like a great decision. Josh Peter of USA Today highlighted the Dodgers' problem with Diaz, which reinforces the idea that the Mets avoided disaster with Diaz last offseason.
Mets avoided disaster with Edwin Diaz
"The Dodgers have a massive problem. His name is Edwin Diaz," Peter writes. "The sound of trumpets are now the sound of alarm for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Oh, dear. Here comes closer Edwin Diaz again."
When he was with the Mets, the sound of trumpets late in the game normally meant the Mets were about to win. Diaz was incredible for the Mets, and he was the only pitcher the Mets wanted on the mound to close out a big game.
But they lost him in free agency to the Dodgers last winter, and that's looking like a massive stroke of luck considering how terrible he's been for L.A. this season.
Diaz signed with the Dodgers for over $60 million on a three-year deal, and at this point, the Dodgers are surely regretting investing so much in the veteran closer.
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In 14 appearances for the Dodgers this season, across 11.2 innings pitched, Diaz has a brutal 11.57 ERA with -1.2 bWAR.
Such a negative bWAR value over only 14 appearances is hard to achieve. But Diaz has put together a brutal start for the Dodgers. He's blown four saves in 14 outings, including one on Thursday night in which he allowed four straight hits to blow a two-run lead.
He missed a huge chunk of the season, landing on the injured list after his April 19 outing, and only returning on July 29. In the seven games since his return, he's gone 5.2 innings, allowing a 12.71 ERA.
Looking at what Diaz has done this season, the Mets absolutely made the right call not to re-sign him. Even though it stung in the moment to lose Diaz to the Dodgers, it's turned into a good thing, as he's been a disaster since signing his $60M+ contract.
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