The New York Mets have made no secret of how painful it was to part ways with Edwin Diaz, a decision that hit fans hard after years of late-inning dominance. As the club looks to stabilize the back end of its bullpen, league chatter indicates the Mets are targeting an elite reliever.
“The Padres’ players in the talks include right-hander Nick Pivetta, outfielder Ramón Laureano and relievers Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon and Jeremiah Estrada. San Diego, in turn, is asking the Mets about their young major leaguers and all of their top prospects, both pitchers and position players.” wrote Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal for The Athletic.
Another report underscored just how difficult those conversations may be. Jon Heyman wrote on X, “Many teams (including the Mets) are inquiring on Mason Miller, one of the top few arms in MLB and the hardest thrower. The Padres will listen but they love him as much as anyone and would need to be overwhelmed.” That framing suggests the price won’t be modest.
Why the comparison to Edwin Diaz is unavoidable
With one particular reliever central to the discussions, comparisons to Diaz are inevitable. Michael Baron noted on X, “With Mason Miller reportedly in the middle of these Mets/Padres talks, I should point out that Miller has struck out 39.5 percent of hitters in his career. Edwin Diaz struck out 40.4 percent of batters while with the Mets.”
That context matters when weighing cost versus impact. Ryan Garcia added a note of caution on X, writing, “I’m not sure Mets fans understand that you are trying to get a GM who evaluated Mason Miller as a player worth trading LDV [Leo De Vries] + for to cash him in 5 months later for anything less than a t-15 prospect as a headliner.”
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Ultimately, the Mets’ pursuit reflects a broader reality: replacing Diaz isn’t about finding an identical arm, but about getting close enough without mortgaging the future. Whether New York is willing, or able, to meet San Diego’s demands will determine if this rumor becomes something far more real.
