Opt-out decision gives Yankees the high-profile bullpen solution they're scared of

The New York Yankees have a lengthy shopping list this offseason, but perhaps no position needs more reinforcements than the bullpen. It's an area the Yankees have convinced themselves they'd be able to fill cheaply in perpetuity, and with pitching lab-created greatness. In recent years, though, most of those lab diamonds have been obvious fakes; instead of mining the Louvre, the Yankees burgled a Zales in Paramus.

Last summer, as Luke Weaver had the Walk Year From Hell and Devin Williams had the ... Walk Year From Hell Also, the team's future needs only got more glaring. Trading for David Bednar (thumbs up), Camilo Doval (thumbs middle), and Jake Bird (thumb in eyeball) at the deadline hardly mitigated the overwhelming concern.

So, while it's still likelier than ever the Yankees will address their deficiency through trades this offseason, as well as by plumbing the depths to "fix" underrated assets, there is an opportunity for them to once again splurge at the most volatile position: closer.

The New York Mets have stolen plenty from the Yankees in recent years. Maybe it's time for the Yanks to return the favor and pick up one of the rare relief free agents who seems to have mostly found consistency since 2019: Edwin Diaz, who's still just 31 years old and opted out of his Mets deal on Monday.

Edwin Diaz could be a free agent target for the New York Yankees after opting out of his Mets contract

Diaz posted a 5.59 ERA in 2019, his first season in Flushing after being dealt for über prospect Jarred Kelenic. Kelenic has slumped and changed leagues, while Diaz has found his footing. Though he missed 2023 after a freak World Baseball Classic accident, he hasn't posted a strikeout rate under 12.8 per 9 since coming to the Mets, and still whiffed 15.4/9 in that brutal 2019 season (he walked the world, though, leading to a 1.379 WHIP).

Since '19, he hasn't exceeded a WHIP of 1.053 in a full campaign (2020 excluded), and posted a 1.63 ERA last year in an All-Star season in 2025, a return to strength after working his way back from the leg issue that sapped his 2023 campaign. If you comfortably have the ability to invest big bucks in a reliever, Diaz is probably the one you'd make the $100 million bet on.

The Yankees probably don't think there's a reliever on earth who's worth that sum. But if they feel like backing up some of their swagger with beaucoup bucks, signing Diaz and splashing additional cash on the offense would be a pretty good way to take a bite at the apple.