The Yankees and the Mets, while crosstown rivals, have seen their fair share of players go from one organization to the other over the years. After Juan Soto joined the Mets last offseason in the latest example (for an incredible sum of money), they failed to make the postseason. They tied the Reds with 83 wins but lost out to Cincinnati in the NL Wild Card race with a soul-crushing final series loss to the Marlins, pushing them out of a playoff spot.
The Yankees did make the postseason, but in wake
of their Wild Card Series victory over the Red Sox, they failed to push by another division rival, with the Blue Jays closeing them out in a four-game Division Series. With another postseason run stopped short, there’s been plenty of talk about potential upgrades to the roster and pitching staff with free agency upcoming, and a potential target could be just a train ride away.
Edwin Díaz will be entering his age-32 season in 2026. And while that may scare some teams away, he has continued to play at the top of his game in the Orange and Blue.
2025 Statistics: 62 games played, 6-3 record, 66.1 IP, 1.63 ERA (248 ERA+), 2.28 FIP, 2.49 xFIP, 38.0% K%, 8.1% BB%, 2.0 fWAR
2026 Projections: 66 games played, 4-3 record, 66.0 IP, 2.90 ERA, 2.76 FIP, 33.7% K%, 8.9% BB%, 1.3 fWAR
Following a brilliant campaign with the Mets in 2022, Díaz signed a five-year, $102 million deal to remain in Queens on the largest free agent contract ever offered to a reliever. But he had an opt-out following Year 3, and in the aftermath of taking home his second NL Reliever of the Year win, Díaz exercised it to hit the free agent market, giving the Yankees a perfect chance to add one of the most feared arms in all of MLB to their bullpen.
And not only would they be adding an arm that has proven strong against all kinds of hitters, but they’ll be able to replace one in the back of their bullpen in Devin Williams, who was extremely inconsistent throughout the regular and postseason. Not being able to rely on him like the Milwaukee Brewers could cost the Yankees a handful of games, but shoring up the back end of the bullpen—with Luke Weaver and Jonathan Loáisiga likely departing as well—could help push the Bombers forward toward their World Series goals.
As for Díaz’s game, he posted one of the best seasons of his career in 2025. His 1.63 ERA was the second-best since joining the Mets in 2019 and the third-best of his career — his best being 1.31 in 2022. The same goes for his FIP and xFIP, which were the third-best of his career in a Mets uniform and fourth overall in his nine-year career. Since returning to the field from his season-ending 2023 knee injury, he hasn’t fanned batters with quite the same ferocity as before (2022 had a staggering 17.1 K/9 and 50.2% K%), it’s not as though he’s failed to miss bats by any means. Indeed, Díaz’s 38-percent strikeout rate in 2025 was second among all MLB relievers to only Mason Miller.
Díaz’s arsenal brings a solid mix of both heat and offspeed, showing that a well-used two-pitch mix can still be successful at the MLB level. He uses his fastball 52.6 percent of the time, with the average velocity sitting around 97.4 miles per hour. But his slider helps set that fastball up for success, sitting at 47.3 percent usage. The two-pitch mix has helped bring excellent results on the mound, and for even a hitter as accomplished as the Yankees’ three-time MVP Aaron Judge, battling him is just a helluva challenge.
For the Yankees, pursuing an arm like Díaz on paper would be a major help to their bullpen and might well be worth losing a draft pick due to the qualifying offer that he understandably turned down. With all of the injuries that were suffered last season (and some inconsistency in the arm that they need to replace), having a reliable arm could make all the difference down the stretch. Díaz wouldn’t be a cheap option, but spending big to win big, especially when it comes to positions like the bullpen and late relievers, might be what it takes for the Yankees to match up with the best of the best in the majors.
