The New York Mets are among the most talented teams in the league this season. Their lineup is stacked, and the pitching staff has been performing at a top-tier level early on.
However, one glaring weakness remains: Edwin Diaz in the closer role. Since his knee injury a few years back, Diaz hasn’t quite regained his dominant form.
While the Mets don’t necessarily need to move on from Diaz, they do need to find another reliable, high-leverage reliever to share the late-inning burden. One ideal target would be St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley.
Helsley, a right-hander in the final year of his contract, is projected by Spotrac to command around $81 million in free agency.
To acquire him, the Mets would probably need to give up a couple of their top prospects—but bringing in a closer with an ERA well below 7.00 would be a smart investment.
The 30-year-old notched 49 saves last year and already has two more this season. On the Mets, he’d have a solid shot at another 40-save campaign.
Although it would cost them some of their highly regarded young talent, this type of move could prove pivotal come playoff time.
If New York hopes to challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers for National League supremacy, they can’t afford to let ninth-inning leads slip away.
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