The New York Yankees are going in the wrong direction this offseason. After losing their closer, Devin Williams, to free agency, New York is also falling behind in the AL East arms race during this offseason. The Blue Jays, Orioles, and Red Sox have all been active in the early goings of these winter months, and many are wondering when the Yankees will get going.
Brian Cashman and the rest of the Yankees’ front office are certainly going to be spending this offseason; it’s just a matter of when, how much they will spend, and who they will spend on. A recent prediction has the Yankees poaching away Mets‘ closer Edwin Diaz in a similar fashion to the way the Mets poached away Williams from the Bronx.
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Yankees Predicted to Sign Edwin Diaz to $88 Million Deal
Now, it was almost a foregone conclusion that the Yankees wouldn’t sign Devin Williams after his disastrous 2025 season in pinstripes. But Williams’ signing with the Yankees immediately draws large questions about how Edwin Diaz’s free agency will play out.
GettyEdwin Diaz predicted to leave Mets for AL contender.
The early reports show that the Mets are still interested in signing Edwin Diaz, but one has to assume how they could afford two relievers who are surely going to demand $50+ million. Devin Williams already received $51 million in a three-year deal, but Diaz is more productive and certainly worth more at this moment.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden recently released his “Winter Meetings Wish List,” and one of the items is the Yankees signing Edwin Diaz to a 5-year, $88 million deal:
“The Subway Series gets a new twist, as the New York teams swap closers. The Yankees take a risk with a five-year deal for a reliever, but the immediate boost to the back end of their bullpen will be significant.”
Wouldn’t that be a real turn of events? What fan base would be more upset?
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Should the Yankees Sign Edwin Diaz?
Edwin Diaz is a three-time All-Star reliever, and one that the Yankees should certainly pursue. After missing all of 2023 due to injury, his 2024 and 2025 seasons have been stellar. Especially in 2025, when he recorded 28 saves and posted a 1.63 ERA over 66.1 innings.
According to BaseballReference.com, Edwin Diaz is projected to post a 3.29 ERA in 63 innings next season and record 18 saves. The inflated ERA projection in comparison to his 2025 season is likely due to Diaz’s career trends.
In seasons where the 31-year-old reliever has posted a sub-2.00 ERA (2018,2020, 2022), his next season has featured an ERA above 3.00. Now, how much can one really take into account that trend continuing? That part is unclear, but it would be a shock to the baseball world if Diaz gets poached by the Yankees and signs with the Mets’ cross-town rival.
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