The New York Mets shockingly lost the Edwin Diaz sweepstakes, to the Los Angeles Dodgers, no less. He got a three-year, $69 million deal from the reigning World Series champs and left the Mets after refusing to let them increase their three-year, $66 million offer after they indicated they had wiggle room to do it. Meanwhile, the team continues to be in on Tarik Skubal via trade, but lost another potential target as Kyle Schwarber re-signed with the Phillies.
Mets’ Nightmare: Edwin Díaz signs new deal with NL rivals
The Dodgers landing Edwin Díaz signals more than just a big-market powerhouse adding another star — it’s a direct hit to the Mets’ identity. Díaz’s departure hurts emotionally and competitively, but the Mets’ front office didn’t even have a fair chance to match or exceed the offer.
Reports indicate that their last offer was three years for $66 million, and per multiple insiders and people with knowledge of the situation, they had the room to offer more. Instead, Diaz and his camp informed they were joining the champions.
New York’s failure becomes easier to defend when viewed alongside their investment in Devin Williams. His surface ERA from last season hides elite peripherals, and the Mets see him as a near-equal replacement at roughly half the cost and half the risk. Williams now becomes the centerpiece of a restructured bullpen and the player most responsible for ensuring Díaz’s exit doesn’t define the season.
Still, losing the “Narco” atmosphere and the emotional juice Díaz brought to Citi Field leaves a void analytics can’t fill.
Mets target re-signs with division rival on mammoth $150 million deal
The Winter Meetings delivered a one-two punch the Mets weren’t braced for: Díaz heading to Los Angeles and Kyle Schwarber securing a massive return to Philadelphia. The Mets expected Díaz could walk, but losing him and watching a division rival retain one of the league’s premier left-handed sluggers reshaped their offseason calculus in real time.
Schwarber was never deep in Mets-related negotiations, yet his presence on the market mattered and their interest was real. With impact bats disappearing and Josh Naylor already gone, the pressure around Pete Alonso’s free agency has only intensified. If Alonso leaves, there’s no longer a clean way to replace his power, and teams like Boston and Baltimore are already circling.
The Phillies growing stronger while the Mets remain stuck in wait-and-see mode only widens the urgency gap. New York can still recover, but the next move has to be decisive — not reactive — if they intend to keep pace.
Tigers head of baseball reveals willingness to listen on top Mets target: ‘I don’t believe in untouchables at any level’
Detroit’s surprising willingness to listen on Tarik Skubal added fresh volatility to the Winter Meetings. Scott Harris may have framed it as a general organizational philosophy, but around the league, it’s being interpreted as an open invitation for massive offers. Skubal’s performance — ERAs in the low-2s for two straight seasons and nearly 470 strikeouts over that span — makes him the type of pitcher who rarely becomes available.
The Tigers face a timing dilemma: Skubal has one more season of team-friendly control before the kind of free agency that could push him out of Detroit’s financial range. That dynamic has put them at a familiar crossroads: extend him, compete aggressively, or trade him at peak value.
For the Mets, the fit is almost too clean. Their rotation has useful pieces but still lacks an anchor who elevates everyone else. Skubal would immediately change their ceiling, but the price will be steep, and Detroit knows it. With several contenders circling, the question isn’t whether Skubal will draw huge offers — it’s which team will blink first and meet Detroit’s demands.
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