The big free-agent suggestions are beginning to rush in. The Atlanta Braves have been named a fit for another top closer. MLB insider Ken Rosenthal has pinpointed them as a strong candidate to pry Edwin Diaz away from their rival New York Mets.
Coming off one of the better seasons of his career, the all-star closer opted out of the remaining two years of his contract. Along with being named an all-star for the third time in his career, Diaz had his second-best ERA (1.63) and his third-best WHIP (0.87) in a season.
With Raisel Iglesias currently out the door, the Braves will need a new closer. Rosenthal attributed the desire to increase payroll in Atlanta, along with the bullpen being one of the top priorities, as to why Diaz could be a candidate.
He acknowledged that the bullpen isn’t at the top of the pecking order for positions of need. Starting pitching and shortstop are supposed to come first. That being said, Rosenthal believes that for a talent like Diaz, general manager Alex Anthopoulos could be willing to make an exception.
This doesn’t come up in this Rosenthal piece, but it’s worth noting. The Braves have brought on two members of the Mets coaching staff this offseason. One of them is Jeremy Hefner, who will be the pitching coach. If the Braves are going to make a case to Diaz, they’re likely going to lean into having coaches the closer is familiar with.
Regardless of which position takes priority, the Braves are likely going to need to move quickly if they want to sign top talent available. Some top free agents are going to hold out longer to get the best deal, but they can’t bank on that.
Reports indicate that teams could be in pursuit of Iglesias early on. The same could be for other top closers on the market.
If they managed to land Diaz, they would have an impact closer that is a few years younger than the one who could be leaving in free agency. He’s still over 30, but entering your age 32 season is very different than entering your age 36 season.
The projected price tag for Diaz isn’t far off from what they were paying Iglesias. Spotrac projects that Diaz is worth $18.3 million per season, and he’s worth signing to a four-year contract ($73.2 million). At that point, you’re buying out what could be his remaining prime years.
Diaz’s performance isn’t typically the same year-to-year. Some years, his ERA is sub-2.00. Other years, it’s above 3.00. Only one season to his name, way back in 2019, can truly be considered troubling.
Offseason priorities, or simply being outbid, could get in the way of this potential addition. But for obvious reasons, Diaz would make for a great addition to the bullpen. If not, there is still another solid closer option out there in Robert Suarez. For what it’s worth, Jeff Passan named him a fit for the Braves.
