In baseball, confidence can sometimes outweigh talent. Consider Edwin Diaz, the highest-paid closer in the major leagues, who, at 30 years old, allowed five home runs in his first 18 innings this season. The latest was a 428-foot homer to center field at Miami’s loanDepot Park, tying a game in which Diaz had a four-run lead. “I can’t lie,” Diaz admitted on May 18, “I feel my confidence is down right now.”
Following three consecutive blown saves, the Mets demoted their hard-throwing closer. “Our job is to get him back on track,” said rookie manager Carlos Mendoza after the Mets lost 10-9 in 10 innings to the struggling Marlins. “He’ll do whatever it takes to help this team win, whether that’s pitching in the seventh, eighth, or ninth inning, whether we’re losing or winning.”
In 2021 and 2022, Diaz saved 32 games each season. However, he missed all of 2023 due to a torn patellar tendon in his knee, injured while celebrating a World Baseball Classic win for Team Puerto Rico on the same Miami mound.
Diaz signed a record five-year, $102 million deal on Nov. 9, 2022, which includes an opt-out clause after 2025 and a $20 million team option for 2028. Despite these accolades, the Mets and their once-dominant closer have had little to celebrate as Memorial Day approaches. The Mets, with a 21-26 record, were fourth in the National League East, trailing the Phillies, who led with a .708 winning percentage (34-14).
Diaz’s stats included a 1-1 record, a 5.50 ERA, and fewer hits (15) than innings pitched (18). His slider, once his most reliable pitch, was giving him trouble. Compared to his stellar 2018 season in Seattle with 57 saves and his 2022 performance in New York with a 1.31 ERA, Diaz’s current form was a shadow of his former self.
Mendoza remains optimistic. “He’s too good a pitcher to struggle for long,” he told Jon Heyman of The New York Post. “We want to find some easier situations to help him regain his confidence. He will get through this.”
For now, Diaz has lost his role as the primary closer. “I am making my pitches and throwing strikes,” said the two-time All-Star, “and I’m trying to help my team win.” According to Mendoza, Diaz was putting too much pressure on himself.
Diaz’s struggles, along with those of potential free agent Pete Alonso and former batting champion Jeff McNeil, frustrate Mets owner Steve Cohen, whose $305.6 million payroll is the highest in the majors. If the team’s struggles continue, Cohen might consider trading veterans for prospects, as he did last year with Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.
Whether Diaz will be part of any trade remains uncertain, as struggling teams often lack save opportunities. Additionally, Diaz is a fan favorite in Flushing, with his electrifying entrance music, “Narco” by Timmy Trumpet, energizing the crowd. Reclaiming their closing ace is crucial for the Mets to avoid a repeat of last year’s disappointing finish, 29 games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves.
