The Mets have had plenty go wrong in 2026, from deadline sell-offs to offseason additions that never really took hold. Jorge Polanco, Freddy Peralta and Luis Robert Jr. are all part of a winter that hasn’t delivered, and New York looks headed for the bottom of the standings.
But one of the smartest decisions the Mets made was the move they didn’t make.
Letting Edwin Diaz leave in free agency and sign with the Dodgers is starting to look like a break for New York, not a loss. Josh Peter of USA Today put the spotlight on just how rough things have become for Los Angeles with Diaz in the mix.
"The Dodgers have a massive problem. His name is Edwin Diaz," Peter writes.
"The sound of trumpets are now the sound of alarm for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Oh, dear.
Here comes closer Edwin Diaz again."
That line would have sounded unthinkable not long ago. In New York, Diaz’s entrance usually meant the game was about to be put away. He was the arm the Mets trusted most when the pressure was highest, the closer they wanted finishing off the biggest wins.
Instead, he departed last winter and landed in Los Angeles on a three-year deal worth more than $60 million. For the Dodgers, that price tag is looking awfully steep.
Diaz has made 14 appearances for the Dodgers, covering 11.2 innings, and the numbers are ugly: an 11.57 ERA and -1.2 bWAR. He has also blown four saves in those 14 outings, including Thursday night, when he gave up four straight hits and coughed up a two-run lead.
His season has also been interrupted by injury. Diaz went on the injured list after his April 19 appearance and didn’t return until July 29. Since coming back, he has thrown 5.2 innings over seven games and posted a 12.71 ERA.
For the Mets, the takeaway is pretty clear. Losing Diaz in the moment hurt, but the way this season has unfolded says New York made the right call by not bringing him back. The Dodgers got the contract, and right now they’re the ones living with the disaster.
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