Edwin Diaz reflects on time with Mariners, trade to Mets as he returns to Seattle
‘It’s been fun, I have a lot of good memories here’
For the majority of the Mets, this weekend’s three-game series with the Seattle Mariners is just one last obstacle before the end of their brutally long road trip, but for star closer Edwin Diaz it represents so much more.
This weekend marks Diaz’s return to Seattle for the first time since he was traded to New York along with second baseman Robinson Cano in a blockbuster deal ahead of the 2018 MLB trade deadline.
The right-hander took some time to reflect on his time with the Mariners, the move to New York, and so much more while speaking with reporters prior to Friday night’s series opener.
“I have my family here with me, it’s been fun,” he said. “I have a lot of good memories here. I made my debut here and pitched my last game here in Seattle, so that’s the biggest thing that I have, it just feels good to be back.”
Diaz was drafted by the Mariners in the third round of the 2012 MLB Draft, and after working his way through the minor leagues as a starter, the organization decided he’d be better off moving to the bullpen.
He admitted that he was a little worried about the transition at first, but after the coaching staff explained to him that it would help him make his big-league debut sooner, he was completely on board and the rest is history.
“That helped me a lot,” he said. “As soon as they made me a reliever in the minor leagues they talked to me and told me you’re going straight to the big leagues, you can come from the bullpen and do your job, so I did my job and they brought me up.”
Diaz went on to become one of the most dominant closers in all of baseball, as he finished seventh in AL Cy Young voting after recording a stellar 1.96 ERA and a league-best 57 saves the year before he was traded.
It was a bit of a rough adjustment for him coming to the Big Apple, though, as he pitched to a career-worst 5.59 ERA and 1.37 WHIP while blowing seven save opportunities during his first season with the team.
But Diaz quickly shaped back into form, despite a brief rough stretch earlier this season, and he’s back to being the dominant shutdown closer the Mets were expecting to see at the backend of their bullpen.
“My time with the Mets didn’t start the way I wanted to,” he said. “But after that year I went home and realized I needed to work harder. After that season everything went well and I’ve been able to perform the way I’ve wanted to in New York.”
Diaz certainly has been pitching well of late, closing out seven of his last eight opportunities while striking out 13 batters and allowing just two earned runs since returning from his sticky substance suspension.
While the Mets weren’t able to create a save situation for him during Friday’s series opener, they’ll have two more opportunities to work him into the ballgame before they close out this weekend’s set.
