LAS VEGAS — A year ago, there was debate — among fans and team officials alike — whether Edwin Diaz still belonged in the closer’s role for the Mets.
Diaz not only proved he was worthy of the job this past season, he was baseball’s most celebrated closer and now has a contract to match that status, following his agreement Sunday on a five-year contract worth $102 million.
That deal could become official as soon as Tuesday, when Diaz is scheduled to receive his physical. General manager Billy Eppler was traveling to the GM meetings on Monday, with one less concern about the team’s needs headed into the offseason.
Diaz, whose contract is the largest for a reliever (in terms of overall dollars and AAV), considered it also important, according to an industry source, to receive a record signing bonus for a reliever. He got that wish with the $12 million bonus that topped Aroldis Chapman’s $11 million when he signed with the Yankees before the 2017 season.
A significant portion of Diaz’s deal is deferred, according to an industry source, giving the Mets relief on the luxury-tax front. SNY reported the deferral was $26.5 million.
Any contract of that magnitude comes with risk, especially for a reliever, but the Mets felt comfortable with it given the feeling within the organization that Diaz had finally arrived, even if he falls short of the lofty standard he set with a 1.31 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 102 innings. Diaz finished with 32 saves in 35 opportunities. He went the final four months of the season without a blown save.
Diaz developed a rapport with pitching coach Jeremy Hefner — who is returning to the organization on a new contract, as The Post previously reported — that allowed team officials to feel confident that Diaz isn’t just a one-hit wonder.
Even so, the deal is enormous for a closer. In their history, the Mets had only previously given three nine-figure deals to pitchers, and all were starters: Johan Santana ($137.5 million), Jacob deGrom ($137.5 million) and Max Scherzer ($130 million).
Let’s look at contracts for closers behind Diaz’s to see how they have turned out:
Chapman: The left-hander received a five-year deal worth $86 million from the Yankees that was the previous standard for a closer in terms of overall dollars.
That deal included an opt-out after the second season that Chapman essentially parlayed into an extra year on his contract, bringing it through 2022.
Though Chapman pitched to brutal results this season, the Yankees probably received their money’s worth from Chapman on the initial deal. Chapman was an All-Star in three of those seasons, highlighted by 2019 when he pitched to a 2.21 ERA in 60 appearances.
Mark Melancon: The right-hander signed a contract with the Giants before the 2017 season that was initially $62 million over four years. It turned into $80 million over eight years following a club option being exercised and later a buyout and deferred payout. Melancon has moved to the Braves, Padres and Diamondbacks over that stretch and pitched to mixed results. He was an All-Star in 2021, but followed that with an ugly season this year.
Kenley Jansen: After two straight All-Star seasons, the Dodgers gave Jansen a five-year contract worth $80 million. The right-hander followed with his best season, pitching to a 1.32 ERA and finishing fifth in the Cy Young award voting, but didn’t approach those heights in the final four years of the contract. Even so, Jansen had a strong walk year in 2021 that led to him receiving $16 million to close for the Braves this past season.
Raisel Iglesias: The four-year contract for $58 million he signed with the Angels before this past season might be a good one for his new team, the Braves, who acquired him in an August trade. Iglesias was close to untouchable for the Braves, but it’s early.
