Sunday was a historic day for New York Mets reliever Edwin Diaz and relievers in general.
The overpowering right-hander signed a five-year extension worth an incredible $102 million, a record-setting deal for a relief pitcher.
Yes: if you truly are a dominant late-inning reliever and prove it for a few years, you have a shot at earning $20 million per year.
Diaz’s deal also has a $20 million club option for the 2028 campaign, when he will be 34.
The contract was so large that it immediately got in the top ten list in franchise history.
“Edwin Díaz’s contract is the eighth in Mets history to surpass $100 million. The others: 1. Francisco Lindor, $341m; 2. David Wright, $138m, 3. Jacob deGrom, $137.5m; 4. Johan Santana, $137.5m; 5. Max Scherzer, $130m; 6. Carlos Beltrán, $119m; 7. Yoenis Céspedes, $110m,” Mets insider Anthony DiComo tweeted.
Edwin Díaz's contract is the eighth in Mets history to surpass $100 million. The others:
1. Francisco Lindor, $341m
2. David Wright, $138m
3. Jacob deGrom, $137.5m
4. Johan Santana, $137.5m
5. Max Scherzer, $130m
6. Carlos Beltrán, $119m
7. Yoenis Céspedes, $110m— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) November 6, 2022
The list is easily led by current Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, an offensive and defensive star still in his prime.
Former franchise player and Mets legend David Wright is second, and current Mets ace Jacob deGrom is third.
Diaz Had An Unbelievable Season
deGrom could be the only player to be on this list twice: he declared today that he is declining his player option and entering the free agent market.
He should easily surpass $100 with his next deal, too, and if it comes with the Mets, his name will appear twice on this list.
But back to Diaz.
The righty, who reached worldwide fame this year by using “Narco” from Blasterjaxx and Timmy Trumpet as his entrance song, toyed with hitters in 2022.
He had a 1.31 ERA in 62 innings, and struck out almost half of the hitters he faced: 118 in total.
He also had a 0.00 ERA in 2.2 playoffs innings, even though the Mets lost in the Wild Card round.
Diaz will now stay in Queens for a while, and is the highest-paid reliever in the game.
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