00:00Brendan Nimmo traded out Edwin Diaz headed to the Hollywood Hills but does that mean Pete Alonzo is next let's get your favorite Mets content creator Tyler Ward's takes and reaction on all the breaking news that's been coming out of Flushing uh Wardy what's going on my man let's get straight into this because Edwin Diaz just traded Queens Boulevard for Sunset Boulevard what was your immediate reaction when you found out that he's heading to LA
00:25oh well immediate reaction as I was rolling out to bed after taking a slight nap I was awoken to the news that Edwin Diaz had landed LA and I have to be quite frank as a Mets fan there was a lot of profanity that was said and a lot of shocking reaction and that was pretty universal not only for myself but for many Mets fans I interacted with while initially covering the news because we all had this great anticipation and expectation that Diaz would be returning all offseason long from the time of him opting out of his contract he made it abundantly known and clear that he was going to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to
00:55who would like to return this Mets team and the fact that not only did he leave the Mets but he went to the evil empire in today's age that being in the LA daughters when they most certainly do not need Edwin Diaz to win another championship next year I'd just say it's frustrating from a Mets fan point of view is an understatement it's funny when you say they don't need him because there's a lot of people that are calling him a traitor and then a lot of people there are kind of comparing him to Kevin Durant for heading out west to join an already stacked championship team but when you break it down
01:25let's break down the business side of it two all-star appearances in seven years and the
01:30Mets only had two playoff appearances in those seven years on top of that there are also reports
01:36out there that the franchise didn't even speak with him before they signed Devin Williams do
01:41you think it was a situation to where Edwin Diaz just got tired of the losing and he doesn't see
01:47the vision of David Stearns in the front office I think you hit the nail on the head Brandon that's
01:53exactly what I was relaying because when you look at what the Mets offered in the end they had right
01:57around the same contract structure technically a couple million less than the Dodgers 66 versus 69
02:03but was that really the differentiator and Diaz making this decision most certainly not Edwin
02:08had the opportunity to circle back with the New York Mets when the Mets would have liked to offer
02:12more than what they previously did but he chose not to and he had his rightful reasons to do that
02:17but as you point out Brandon it has everything to do with past success future success
02:23and what Diaz has already made in his career I think a couple key factors need to be highlighted
02:27here one Edwin Diaz already got a monster record-breaking contract after the 2022 season
02:33with the New York Mets meaning that while yes he was still planning to look for a great contract
02:38after opting out of his contract this time around when he still had a couple years left on that deal
02:42what's also true is that Edwin if he truly wanted to return back to the New York Mets he would have
02:47taken the offer that still would have gave him the highest average annual value of a reliever in MLB
02:52history because that was right in line with what the Dodgers offered that the Mets offered as well
02:56so this is clearly a rain chase by Edwin Diaz and you can't fault him for doing that I don't fault
03:01him for doing that I mean you have to think about it we have the New York Mets that what do they have
03:05to sell you outside of great family hospitality and dollars they don't have success they've had
03:09very little under Diaz Diaz is not getting any younger he's been in the league for a decade plus
03:14and then he has Freeman the Dodgers saying which World Series ring would you like to try and first
03:18said one you can try and both at the same time if you want I mean it pales in comparison and that's
03:23where I personally from a fan point of view have my great frustration with David Stearns and the Mets
03:28collectively as a whole as far less to do about how these negotiations happen versus ultimately
03:33finding out that the Mets had another failed season with a massive payroll if they made playoffs if they
03:39had a substantial run like they did in 2024 Brandon I think you and I can probably agree Edwin Diaz is
03:45still in the Mets uniform right now so the Diaz were pardon me the Dodgers were able to pitch
03:50on what the future will look like it's gonna be filled with championships and Diaz goes from being
03:54the guy for the New York Mets to being in a far less pressure cooker of a situation as an LA Dodger
04:00and as we saw with Tanner Scott who signed that 70 plus million dollar contract a year ago with LA
04:05was supposed to be their star closer reliever instead he wasn't even on the World Series roster and they
04:11still won the dance in the end so there's anything to be said Diaz is taking the easy route the Mets
04:16have themselves to blame with their lack of success and now we must move forward yeah I can't fault Diaz
04:21at all you got the money now it's time to uh kind of solidify your legacy by going to get some rings
04:27you got the bag get the rings but now let's look ahead because a lot of people out there they're just
04:33kind of upset right now with where the Mets and David Stearns are in the offseason you lose Edwin
04:40Diaz so now what it's like the what's going to go down how do you how do you kind of get that that
04:46star power back in the bullpen Stearns didn't discount the possibility that Devin Williams will
04:52be the only big contract given to the uh given by the team to a reliever this offseason he also said
04:59that there are different ways to build a bullpen and they're going to explore all of them if you're
05:03David Stearns are you getting Steve Cohen to cut a check for a big name reliever or are you going to
05:09go a different route I think you need to have a happy medium here because the Mets can't look at
05:15losing to Edwin Diaz the best closer in the National League and settle for less they can't settle on just
05:20marginal moves and while I understand those are massive shoes to fill I don't think realistically the
05:26Mets can land anyone this year that'll put up the same consistent production that Edwin Diaz does with
05:30his dominance and let's not of course forget the factors that go beyond how he pitches but rather
05:36how he handles the New York market that was what was so appealing about Diaz as well he handled the
05:41pressure cooker situations and he was a guy who started terrible New York and became a fan favorite
05:45rightfully so so how the Mets replenish and replace well in my opinion they need to sign a top
05:50reliever one of a Pete Fairbanks or someone like a Robert Suarez who I like quite
05:55a bit who's also a flamethrower in his own regard who's had a lot of success with the
05:59Padres this past year you can look at Tyler McGill's brother that the Mets have shown interest
06:03in that we have seen widely reported from Joel Sherman here at the New York Post that the Mets
06:08love Trevor McGill a flamethrower who's been in more of that reliever role funny enough filling the
06:13shoes of Devin Williams after he was departed with by the Brewers this past year kind of nuts that
06:18there's a possibility that the Mets back in their bullpen for next season can be two guys that
06:22David Stearns knows well during their time in Waukee to varying degrees one the man that he
06:27actually replaced Josh Hader with to be the closer for Milwaukee after he traded Hader away and secondly
06:32the guy that filled the shoes of Devin Williams after he was traded to the Yankees so I think the
06:37Mets are going to get very creative here on not only maximizing what they have available in the
06:41Frazier market while also getting creative there in the trade market because they need more than one
06:45reliever brand and they got to add at least three four guys before we start to feel relatively comfortable
06:49about how this thing is going to configure heading into next spring training all right Brandon Nimmo gone
06:54Edwin Diaz gone do you feel like the Edwin Diaz heading to Hollywood kind of gives some sort of
07:01extra leverage to Pete Alonzo for the Mets to get a deal done with him and how confident are you
07:07that polar bear Pete is going to be back in flushing at the start of next season
07:12how does how are things going to go with Pete Alonzo I think your guess is as good as mine right now
07:19I constantly fluctuate from the fan point of view as well as what I'm relayed in the industry and
07:23hearing all these different things I think the Mets stand firm as to where they believe they're at
07:27with Alonzo and I think this is eerily similar to an offseason ago the Mets have a hard line to
07:32stand if they don't want to go long term with him I respectively disagree with that notion especially
07:36if he's willing to DH more because that was really the biggest gripe as to why you didn't want to commit
07:41to the long term slugger because if he has such little defensive value at first and the Mets want to
07:46trip that area he'll be counterintuitive for them to income to say a longer term deal if he's going
07:51to be consistently playing every single day at first base but if he's getting more playing time
07:55at DH in my opinion it's really hard to justify allowing someone like Alonzo to say leave and
08:00there's only a one or tops two-year difference in contract negotiations and then when you look at
08:05the other aspect of this with Pete Alonzo and how Edwin Diaz may have impacted things I don't really
08:11think this changes anything for him as market but I do think it changes maybe to a degree the level
08:17of urgency and pressure David Stearns and the Mets now feel from the fan base including myself and
08:22the opinions of many you know when you lose a home not a homegrown talent but a core piece to the
08:27puzzle and Edwin Diaz who is far from the problem after trading away a fan favorite favorite and Brandon
08:32Nemo even though I believe is justified to a degree if you now allow a Pete Alonzo to walk unless the
08:38Mets do everything in their power to sure up these areas and surprise us a lot with what their
08:42splashes will be this offseason we will head into 2026 with more disgruntled Mets fans that we have
08:47seen possibly ever in the Steve Cohen era so it's imperative that they make sure that they do right
08:52by the fans here and do their best to put out the best product for 2026. Wardy always a great time
08:58with you man can't wait to some good news breaks so we can have you back on yeah me too man thanks so much
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