Inside The Mets

Mets' Edwin Díaz makes assertion about 2026 opt-out opportunity

New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz spoke about his player opt-out after the 2026 season.

Grant Young

Oct 20, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) walks to the dugout in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game six of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Oct 20, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets pitcher Edwin Diaz (39) walks to the dugout in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game six of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz has been one of the best closers in baseball for the past decade.

This is proven by the 225 saves he has recorded over the past 10 seasons, which is third-most in MLB behind Kenley Jansen (340) and Craig Kimbrel (254).

However, Díaz would surely be above Kimbrel on that list if he hadn't missed the entire 2023 season after sustaining a complete right patellar tendon tear in his leg while celebrating a victory during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Read More: Could this one question decide the Mets 2025 season?

Given Díaz's extended recovery after that injury, some believe that he was still shaking the rust off in 2024. The 3.52 ERA he produced during last year's regular season is the highest ERA he has recorded since his first season with the Mets in 2019, and the seven blown saves he had were tied for the most in his MLB career.

On November 6, 2022, Díaz signed a five-year, $102 million contract extension with the Mets that includes a player opt-out option after 2026.

However, Díaz has made it clear that this opt-out opportunity is not on his mind at the moment.

“I’m not thinking right now about the opt-out,” Díaz is quoted saying in a February 14 article from The Athletic's Will Sammon and Tim Britton. “I just want to help this team to win. My goal is to have a great year, help make the playoffs and win the World Series. That’s my mindset.”

This is essentially exactly what one would expect a pitcher to say in this situation. The bottom line is that Díaz appears focused and ready to return to form as one of baseball's best relievers in 2025.

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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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