Red Sox Need ‘Hefty’ Deal To Sign All-Star Closer Looking For Massive Contract

To pay or not to pay, that is the question facing Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow.

Most of the attention right now is focused on the club’s quest to beef up the lineup, with many of the rumors linking the Red Sox to Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso.

However Boston, like most clubs, also is kicking the tires on relievers. Perhaps the best one still on the open market is Mets closer Edwin Diaz, who was first linked to the Red Sox last month by the New York Post’s Jon Heyman. However the three-time All-Star won’t come cheap.

“The closer’s market in the last 48 hours: Ryan Helsley, Baltimore Orioles: 2 years, $28 million. Devin Williams, New York Mets: 3 years, $45 million. Next up: Edwin Diaz and Robert Suarez,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale posted Monday on X.

“Edwin Díaz will wind up with the heftiest deal of the group. Robert Suarez will be there for the teams that missed. It’s a solid bunch of back-end relievers,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Tuesday on Threads.

Heyman later reported Diaz returning to the Mets is not out of the question.

“There apparently remains a serious gap in talks with arguably the best closer in franchise history, but while the back-end bullpen market is the one that’s moving early (Raisel Iglesias re-signed with the Braves for $16M and old friend Ryan Helsley went to the Orioles for $28M over two years and a player opt-out), there’s no belief that Díaz is close to signing with anyone else,” Heyman wrote.

“Díaz seeks twice that take — about $100M-plus over five years — but the Mets are reluctant to go to five years for a 31-year-old reliever, which would be unprecedented in bullpen annals,” Heyman added.

Last month, Heyman reported the Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers are among the potential landing spots for Diaz.

The Orioles have since signed former All-Star closer Ryan Helsley to a two-year, $28 million contract.

Diaz, a three-time All-Star, recorded 28 saves and a 1.63 ERA last season. He posted a career-high and MLB-best 57 saves in 2018 with the Seattle Mariners.

Seattle traded Diaz to the Mets after the 2018 season in the deal which also sent former Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano back to New York.

Diaz agreed to a record-setting five-year, $102 million contract after the 2022 season. Months after signing the richest deal ever for a reliever, Diaz tore the patellar tendon in his right knee during the World Baseball Classic and missed the 2023 MLB season.

Joining the Red Sox would be an interesting choice for Diaz, since Boston already has 37-year-old closer Aroldis Chapman under contract for 2026. The southpaw signed a one-year, $13.3 million extension for next year which includes a vesting option for 2027.

Chapman, an eight-time All-Star, recorded 32 saves this year while posting a career-low 1.17 ERA.