Among the many options for the Atlanta Braves to pursue this winter, New York Mets free agent Edwin Diaz could be at the top of that list.
Diaz has been among the top closers in Major League Baseball over the past few seasons, and had a strong argument to be the best in the league just three years ago before going down with a tough injury during the World Baseball Classic while celebrating.
The Braves should be in a position to land multiple players this winter, as reports have indicated that they plan to increase their payroll significantly.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, that could come in the form of signing someone like Diaz, who he named as a potential suitor to poach from their NL East rivals.
Is signing Edwin Diaz possible for the Braves?
“Could it come from the Mets’ NL East rival, the Atlanta Braves? Chairman Terry McGuirk recently said on an earnings call that the Braves aim to carry one of the game’s five highest payrolls. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos listed the additions of a shortstop, starting pitcher and multiple relievers, in that order, as the team’s biggest needs. For Díaz, though, he might adjust,” Rosenthal wrote.
Adding Diaz would be one thing, as he's clearly very good, but another factor here would be stealing him from a Mets team that clearly needs him.
As the Mets approach the offseason, there's a lot that has to be done for them to be contenders, similar to the Braves.
However, if the Braves walk out of free agency with one of the top arms on the Mets, they should feel rather confident heading into next year.
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