There is no replacing Edwin Díaz.
The New York Mets know that, but they’ll need to fill the void left by the All-Star closer, who will likely miss the entire 2023 season due to a torn patellar tendon suffered during the World Baseball Classic. Who better to replace him in Queens than his brother, Alexis?
According to CBS Sports’ Jim Bowden, Reds general manager Nick Krall claimed that the Mets have not called him to inquire about the availability of the team’s closer. Because, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, based on past talks, people in the Mets organization believe that a trade for Alexis Díaz would take a combo of Alex Ramírez and Kevin Parada.
While those names might not mean something to the average baseball fan, Parada and Ramírez are two of the Mets’ top five prospects and rank No. 36 and No. 96, respectively, in MLB.com’s Top-100 prospects list. So, it makes sense why the Mets would balk at such an insane asking price.
“There’s no evidence that there’s been serious trade talks regarding Edwin Díaz’s kid brother Alexis since last July, and the reason seems to be that the Mets are convinced the price tag will be higher than their comfort level,” Heyman wrote.
For now, the Mets will stick with what they have, but any past interest in Alexis Díaz makes sense, considering he pitched to a 1.84 ERA in his first season in MLB. The Reds don’t seem inclined to move the 26-year-old high-end reliever, but all it takes is one phone call.
[Jim Bowden, NY Post, MLB.com]