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By Drew VonScio
Contributing Sports Writer
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The ongoing negotiations between Edwin Diaz and the New York Mets took another turn Wednesday, and the winter meetings have not even started yet.
Diaz is reportedly seeking a five-year contract worth at least $100 million as he believes that is his current market value. However, the Mets appear to only be offering him a three-year deal. While the average annual value of that proposed three-year deal is unknown, it would be reasonable to expect it to be around $20 million per year.
David Stearns has shown he doesn't have any emotional attachment to players as witnessed by his decision to trade Brandon Nimmo, the longest-tenured member of the Mets. Diaz and even Pete Alonso could fall into the same situation if they are unwilling to negotiate.
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While it is easy to push for the Mets to just give Diaz the deal he is seeking, negotiations are never that easy, and one executive understands why New York is uncertain about offering a contract of that length to a closer.
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"Diaz is set to cash in, but how many times do we see that backfire for closers?" one executive told ESPN when discussing the contract length. "Not always, but often."
The closer role is one teams rarely invest in for more than 2-3 years at a time simply due to how much turnover there is with players being demoted after a poor season or even a bad stretch of play for a few months. Devin Williams dealt with this firsthand this past season with the New York Yankees.
Adding in that Diaz is 32 makes the decision even more complex for the Mets or any team interested in pursuing him. If Diaz manages to get the five-year contract he is asking for, there's a chance it could be front-loaded to help compensate for if (or when) his talent declines from getting older.
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