The New York Yankees attempted to acquire a great player in order to cover a significant roster gap, but the outcome hasn’t been as successful as the organization may have thought. This winter, they may try to make a greater swing.
The Yankees have seen Devin Williams, a two-time Reliever of the Year Award winner, struggle to be the type of lockdown closer he has historically been since acquiring him from the Milwaukee Brewers this past offseason. He is unlikely to return to the Bronx because of his 5.01 ERA thus far in his contract year this season.
In the coming months, the Yankees may need a closer again, and their crosstown foe may consider using their own great reliever. As Rucker Haringey pointed out for FanSided, “the (New York) Mets have made a number of big offseason moves over the past several seasons,” “That only adds to the potential intrigue of the Yankees going hard after Mets’ closer Edwin Diaz in free agency.”
As he continues to put up impressive statistics, Diaz, who signed a five-year, $102 million contract with the Mets, has the opportunity to test free agency and opt out of his final two years. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com described the choice as a “near-lock” for the great closer, meaning that the Yankees would have an opportunity to bid for their rival’s star, even if such move would leave $37 million on the table.
Given that the Yankees appear to require a high-leverage option, the fit seems reasonable on paper. Furthermore, the competitive element can increase the likelihood of the migration. “He has the sort of strikeout arsenal the Yankees need to deploy in the postseason,” Haringey said. “Cashman and his front staff would only benefit from stealing him away from their crosstown competitor. The Yankees are clearly interested in Diaz since he is the best closer available in free agency who isn’t Aroldis Chapman.
The Yankees may be hopeful that Diaz has already decided to opt out of his Mets contract, even if he is not yet a clear-cut free agent.
