Edwin Diaz

New York Mets: The 7-run Ninth Inning In Washington

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New York Mets, Edwin Diaz

Tuesday night’s collapse against the Nationals left Mets fans speechless and it was the final dagger put through what was a disappointing season. It felt like a collapse was incoming, but I did not believe it was actually going to happen.

How Did It Start?

The bullpen was garbage once Seth Lugo left the game. The Mets padded the lead to 10-4 in the top of the ninth, but it was not enough for the bullpen. Bringing in Paul Sewald was move that is hard argue with. A six run lead should have been plenty to protect for him, but he had absolutely nothing on the mound. He only managed to get one out and Luis Avilan needed to pitch.

Avilan is where it went down hill, in terms of Mickey Callaway’s decision making. He was going to face Juan Soto and Matt Adams, the two lefties. Which was good move if Justin Wilson was already used and the Nats were out of right handed hitters. There was no chance Adams was facing a lefty whether Avilan retired Soto or not, especially with Ryan Zimmerman on the bench. Wilson should have been in the game because he can get hitters from both sides of the plate out and has been the team’s second best reliever.

Disappointing Diaz

The entire 2019 season has been a nightmare for Edwin Diaz. He has been in the middle of the worst losses the Mets all season. When he seemed like he was back, he proved it was just a fluke. Diaz came in and allowed Zimmerman to double and then Kurt Suzuki to win it with a three-run walk off home run.

We will get to why Diaz should not have entered the game later on, but lets dissect the Suzuki at-bat. Diaz got ahead with a nasty slider which has become his best pitch again. He followed up with another great slider that just missed away, then one in the dirt. After that one he had no choice but to throw a fastball and missed inside with that one. Diaz threw his best slider with the 3-1 pitch and Suzuki swing right over it.

Going with the 100mph fastball was a good move, especially when it was up in the zone. He had a good swing at that one along with the next one which was a borderline pitch. It was not fooling him and it seemed a slider would be the correct selection based on how the others were thrown in the at-bat. Diaz decided to try to come at him with the 100 mph heat and Suzuki yanked it over the left field fence to in the game. It is understandable to not put the winning run on base, but it would be better to have Eaton hit with the bases loaded against Wilson instead of throwing a fastball that Diaz was not spotting well.

Thankfully Mickey Callaway Will Be Gone Next Season

Diaz should not have been in the high leverage in the season. He had looked so much better lately, but still was not ready for a big moment. Regardless of the name and their past, Justin Wilson is a better pitcher than Edwin Diaz right now. It is not a tough concept to understand especially for someone who was a pitching coach like Callaway. Wilson should have been in the game when Avilan entered and at that point they would have had to live and die with Wilson.

It is tough to see Diaz playing with the Mets in 2020 and they would be better served to avoid using him again this season. They are still in the Wild Card race but it is hard to see them bouncing back from this loss. If Diaz was an average reliever this season, we would be talking about the Mets holding onto one of the Wild Card spots.

New York Mets: Edwin Diaz Leaves With Injury

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New York Mets, Edwin Diaz

Edwin Diaz has put together a season to forget with the Mets and has been so brutal to watch that fans now boo him whenever he enters the game. He left Saturday’s game with right trap tightness and was even boo’d when he walked off the field.

It was another typical night out of the pen for Diaz. Freddie Freeman tattooed a long home run to lead off the inning, then Diaz struck out Josh Donaldson. Diaz then walked Charlie Culberson, which drew Wilson Ramos to the mound to speak to him. Ramos quickly signaled for Callaway and Mets trainer Brian Chicklo to join the conference at the mound. Diaz was grabbing at his right shoulder, pleading to pitch through it, but Callaway pulled him for Chris Flexen.

Will Diaz Miss Time?

Diaz was optimistic about returning very quickly, but Callaway took a much more cautious approach. The Mets will take another look at him Sunday morning before making a decision on what their course of action will be. There are multiple years left on Diaz and it would not be the worst thing for the Mets to give him a stint on the IL.

Diaz was neck and neck with Chris Flexen for the worst pitcher in the Mets bullpen so any option in the minors is likely better than what Diaz is right now. He has been showing flashes of how great he can be, especially on Friday night, but has not been able to put it together. It is unfortunate to see Diaz struggle and go down with an injury, but an IL stint could be what Diaz needs to clear his mind and get ready to help the Mets down their stretch run.

New York Mets: How to Handle Edwin Diaz?

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New York Mets, Edwin Diaz

Edwin Diaz has been doing his best impression of a reliever from the Washington Nationals all season. In the New York Mets loss to the Nats, he was once again tagged for another home run on a hanging slider. It was the 11th one this year, setting a career high he does not want.

What is Next For Diaz?

The Mets have to make a clear decision on what their bullpen direction is. Either they continue trying to guide Diaz through the ninth inning or they move on from him as their closer. Over their hot streak, they have been going back and forth with Lugo and Diaz as their closer.

Manager Mickey Callaway has lost trust in Diaz because he is using Lugo for six out saves. Diaz ERA is now 5.60 and with the Mets back in playoff contention they cannot afford to hope he figures things out. Even if they wanted to send Diaz to triple-A to figure himself out, there is not a better option to replace Diaz.

The Inconsistency of Diaz

Diaz has had many ups and downs throughout the season and even during his appearances. He has allowed four home runs in his last six outings. Diaz will show flashes of why the Mets traded top prospects for him, but the home runs damper his outings. His fastball command has been better in the second half, but he has failed to consistently find his slider.

Hitters sit on his fastball when his slider is no where to be found. Despite the struggles with his slider, his strikeout numbers are still on par with past years. His slider still has the great break it usually has but it might as well be a batting practice fastball when it is down the middle.

What is Diaz Role in the Bullpen Now?

Callaway says Diaz still has to get big outs, but who knows if he will keep to his word when the situation arises. Jeurys Familia was dominant Sunday and has a 3.29 ERA in the second half. Moving Lugo to the ninth and Familia to the eighth for the series against the Atlanta Braves is very much a possibility.

The Mets can treat water, if Familia returns to the form that led the Mets to the World Series in 2015. If Familia’s recent run is a fluke, their bullpen flaws will be exposed the same way they were in the first half. Even if Diaz pitches to the same ERA as Familia it will be a major upgrade to the bullpen. Whether it is this year or in the future, the Mets need him to close games. He was not acquired to set up games, he was brought in to lock them down.

New York Mets: Where Will Edwin Diaz Land?

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New York Mets, Edwin Diaz

The New York Mets have claimed to be sellers at the trade deadline, but have gone 8-5 since the All-Star break. Will they make a major move before July 31?

Who Wants Diaz?

One of their biggest trade assets has now become closer Edwin Diaz and plenty of teams are lining up for his services. Diaz has become more likely to be dealt than Noah Syndergaard.

The Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins are the front-runners to land Diaz. All three teams have closer problems, and Diaz would solidify their bullpen for the next few years.

The Benefits of Acquiring Diaz

Diaz is young, cheap and controllable, which is a beautiful thing to general managers today. He has struggled at times this year, with a 4.81 ERA, but has 61 strikeouts in 39.1 innings.

He has seemed to find himself since the break; in six outings, he has not allowed a run, and looks like the pitcher the Mets shipped their top prospect Jarred Kelenic away for. In order for the Mets to trade Diaz, they will need a huge haul in return.

If the Mets do not receive a Gavin Lux type of player, the deal would be a failure, however. The Mets traded away their top prospect for Diaz, and it will be irresponsible to ask for anything less than that now. This has to be a deal where the Mets are overwhelmed with what they receive in return.