Not only did the New York Mets lose their best reliever on Tuesday, but it seems they also lost an important figure in an already messy locker room.
As the MLB offseason heats up, New York has been linked to various star players as potential targets in free agency and on the trade market. It’s no surprise after the team’s historic collapse in September, which cost them a trip to the playoffs.
Along with rebuilding the bullpen, getting a front-line starter, and improving their defense, there seems to be a hidden goal for the front office this winter: Improving locker-room morale. It should not come as a surprise that reports have revealed a major reason the team fell apart late in the year was clubhouse issues.
It’s likely a key reason they traded for Marcus Semien last month, and were pursuing Philadelphia Phillies fan-favorite Kyle Schwarber in MLB free agency. Well, it seems that yesterday not only did they lose closer Edwin Diaz to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but they also lost an important unifier in the locker room.
Edwin Diaz was a key figure in the Mets clubhouse?
“Diaz was a really important person to keep the Mets clubhouse together. Which, by the way, based on many reports, was not exactly the most harmonious group in baseball last year,” MLB Network insider Jon Morosi mentioned on the Baseball is Dead podcast.
During the season, top star Juan Soto claimed that the true leader of the locker room was veteran Starling Marte, not captain Francisco Lindor. And earlier this month, a new report emerged about more drama occurring during the season between Lindor and one-time batting champion Jeff McNeil.
With the organization trying to add more character players and leadership, losing one of the more well-liked members of the clubhouse just makes Diaz’s departure to a top rival that much worse.
