The New York Mets and their owner Steve Cohen are well aware that they have to find a strong replacement for All-Star closer Edwin Diaz, however, don’t expect them to force things and find an answer soon.
The New York Mets’ World Series hopes took a gut punch last week when two-time All-Star Edwin Diaz, arguably the best closer in MLB, suffered a season-ending injury at the World Baseball Classic.
In an era where bullpens have become exceedingly important in the MLB playoffs, the injury could sink the team’s chances to even make the playoffs in a very deep National League East. Offseason additions Dave Robertson and Brooks Raley are likely to share the closer role, but they are players brought on to serve secondary roles in the bullpen, not the top job.
Related: MLB games today – Get times and odds for today’s spring training action
It’s obvious that the New York Mets will need to find a more meaningful replacement for Edwin Diaz on the trade block, preferably soon. But the team’s owner is in no rush to take a desperate risk to maintain the organization’s lofty hopes to start the season.
New York Mets record (2022): 101-61, second place in NL East
On a Wednesday appearance on the New York Post podcast “The Show with Joel Sherman and John Heyman,” Steve Cohen explained the team’s thinking to find a star closer, and it seems the man that has been willing to hand out massive contracts since joining the league is willing to be more patient on the reliever trade market.
“When you get into a situation like this, I think you stay calm, you don’t overreact. I think if you do, [you have] the tendency to make mistakes or overpay for somebody. … We’re going to assess the people we have. We have some reasonably good depth. My guess is we’re going to get into the decision and make decisions at some point.
“… It’s a long season, and opportunities come up along the way and that’s how we’re gonna approach it. So, if we need to fill a hole, we’ll fill it, but I don’t see a need to overreact. It’s hard to replace a guy like [Diaz]. That’s the way sports is and baseball is. You’re going to have injuries, just don’t know when. I think we’ve built out a lot of depth on this team. So, it’s the old ‘next-man-up’ attitude.”
– Steve Cohen (h/t SNY.com)
The New York Mets begin their 2023 season on March 30 against the Miami Marlins.