Edwin Diaz’s ability to excel after struggling on the mound in the tough atmosphere of New York is part of the reason the Mets re-signed the closer to a record-breaking deal, Buck Showalter told SNY’s Steve Gelbs.
“When you return from where he was, when you had failure, and you return and had the success that he had – and I think our fans fed off that, they know the toughness they respect that toughness it takes to come through that – usually you don’t want to go back there again,” Showalter said.
“I think what we were drawn to him was the fact that he has shown the toughness to pitch in New York, and come back from things,” he said. “You gotta have that toughness to pitch here.”
Showalter added that knowing Diaz has this ability and hasn’t been “abused physically” by overwork in another team’s bullpen made the decision easier.
The Mets re-signed Diaz to a record-smashing five-year, $102 million contract — the largest deal for a reliever in baseball history. (A deal that does include some deferred payments)
Showalter added the closer wanted to come back and wonders if owner Steve Cohen may have even scored himself a bargain.
“Edwin is a guy who wanted to be here. He was very adamant about it,” Showalter said. “And all things being equal and our ownership allowed all things to be equal and maybe then some, I don't know what woulda been out there.
"Who knows? Maybe we got a deal.”