Edwin Díaz does not suck at all. In fact, he's very good.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Who had 19 K/9 penciled in for Edwin this year? I realize it's still only 21 IP, maybe a third of what he would get in a full season, but damn it, he has been so good. After the early blown saves and he lost his job, I worried he might never get right in a Mets uni. But he's cut the HR/9 down significantly and even though walks are up from last year and his BABIP is very high (.433!), he has gotten very right.



That said, where's your CAHNfidence with Sugar D going forward? You are the GM in this thread. Do we have our dominant closer for 2021 or trade him NOW!!!! at peak (peak!) value for upgrade pieces.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I'm glad I don't have to make these kinds of decisions.



Maybe we can package him with Robinson Cano (who's also been pretty good!) for some of Seattle's top prospects.

[A Boy Named Seo]

That's an intriguing possibility right there.

[MFS62]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Maybe we can package him with Robinson Cano (who's also been pretty good!) for some of Seattle's top prospects.

That hurt.

If he keeps pitching like he has, closer wouldn't be a top priority in the off season.

Later

[batmagadanleadoff]

Diaz has struck out more than half of all batters he faced this season -- 45 out of 89.

[Centerfield]

He was hurt by the slick ball last year. His slider is back and over time the performance has returned.



I think he'll be fine.



I don't know if this means he'll be the “closer” in 2021. I'm hoping the new administration cares less about labels and more on compiling a small army of effective and diverse relievers.

[smg58]

The BABIP over .400 tells me stick with him. The talent is still there, and we wouldn't be selling high (especially given the purchase price). I'm hoping Cano's performance makes him sellable, but we are better off keeping Diaz.

[Edgy MD]

It was that August 19 game. The Mets were going for the sweep over the Marlins with deGrom on the mound. Familia and Wilson gave up one run in the seventh and Betances took the mound in the eighth with a one-run lead, but he loaded the bases with a single, walk, and hit-batsman with two outs before giving way to Diaz who walked in the tying run before getting the strikeout to end the inning.



The Mets retook the lead in the top of the ninth on a two-run homer by Confetti, and the whole Mets world SCREAMED for Rojas to go with Lugo in the ninth. But Luis was all, "Fuck no, I have Lugo scheduled for a start and Diaz only threw nine pitches in the eighth. Diaz rewarded his confidence by striking out the side in the ninth — the first two guys on three pitches each — and he's been something close to a rock ever since.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

It's hard for me to consider having ever "lost faith" in Diaz because I tend not to believe in closers at least in their ability to do it again and again. So it was a dumb get from Day 1 and won't ever be perfect.



That said, Eyewitness Baseball stats indicates he's found something again and is pretty nasty

[Frayed Knot]

Diaz's Hit and HR rates are right about where they were in his not quite three seasons w/Seattle. Just two HRs allowed all season. Of course, being a closer, that means we remember them as they

both blew games (and that they came vs the Braves and Yanx doesn't help either) although it's not likely that his theoretical replacement wouldn't also be at or higher than two.

As mentioned, his walk rate is up this year (and far too high at 5.3/9) at the same time his K-rate has spiked over its already high level [19.2 K/9 this season and 16.4 as a NYM vs 14.2 as a Mariner]



This is probably also a good time to point out that Robinson Cano doesn't suck either.

Since the 2019 ASG he's been rapping out .302/.349/.543 w/17 HRs in just over 300 PAs in those two broken seasons combined.





Now, is all that enough to make you not want to go back in time and negate the trade???? ... Probably not, but an argument could be made.

The Mets have Diaz under two more years of control after this one while there are three years left on Cano's deal. And while you certainly don't expect Cano to stay at his current level while he plays

at 38, 39 & 40, how would you like to have Nelson Cruz's seasons at those same ages [94 HRs since the start of 2018]?



And the Mets were in 'Go For It' mode at the time and certainly could have been playing baseball in October 2019 had a few things broken right -- ironically the biggest of them being a better season from Diaz.

It's also still far from certain what Kelenic will/might be and when. Despite coming off an impressive minor league season which got him Top-10 rankings in most winter prospect polls, the sub-.500 Mariners

have decided to go with the dynamic duo of Mallex Smith and Tim Lopes manning the corner OF slots while Kelenic sits around (presumably in Tacoma) and twiddles his thumbs. Now, having just turned 21

you can make an argument for not calling him up and it's not like he's against the clock in any way. But 'Can't Miss' prospects can and do miss sometimes or sometimes just wind up mediocre.

So, y'know, yaneverknow.

[Centerfield]

Diaz has electric stuff now that his slider is back.



I just wonder if he'll ever have the control you he needs to take it to the next level.



Anyway. I'm good with Diaz. Now let's find 4 more guys as good as him.