The New York Mets didn’t waste time and locked up a foundational piece to their roster.
The Houston Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 to win the World Series on Saturday. This resulted in the conclusion of the 2022 Major League Baseball season, meaning teams could get things worked out for their offseason plans.
For the Mets, they reportedly signed closer Edwin Díaz to a five-year, $102 million contract Sunday, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. It is the largest contract for a reliever in MLB history and beats out Aroldis Chapman’s five-year, $86 million contract he signed with the New York Yankees in 2017.
The deal is pending a physical, and it includes an opt-out, a full no-trade clause and a sixth-year option, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Díaz went viral in the 2022 season with his walk-out song, “Narco” by Blasterjaxx, which grew further in popularity when Timmy Trumpet played the song live at Citi Field.
Díaz matched the hype with his performance on the mound. The 28-year-old notched 32 saves and had a 1.31 ERA to go along with 118 strikeouts. The right-hander had a 3-1 record in 61 games.
A number of teams would have been interested in the 28-year-old’s services, but the Mets got ahead of a potential bidding war right away. Jacob deGrom’s future in New York will also be one to monitor, and of course, the Mets could also be in the hunt for Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.
