There are very few things more polarizing in baseball than the value of relief pitchers. Some will swear that relievers are interchangeable parts and are far too volatile on an annual basis to take them seriously. Others will insist that a team can’t possibly win without an officially sanctioned Capital-C Closer (bonus points if he wears glasses or has interesting facial hair).
The Mets, under the team owner Steven A. Cohen and General Manager Billy Eppler, appear to be part of the latter group, as they are in the process of finalizing a $102 million contract with the Capital-C Closer Edwin Díaz, according to a person familiar with the negotiations who is not authorized to discuss them publicly.