Part 8/19:
A focal point is Edwin Diaz, the Mets' star closer who signed a hefty $102 million deal with opt-outs. The media's obsession with Diaz's departure to the Dodgers, perhaps driven by stories of winning cultures or Diaz’s happiness, is dismissed as misguided. The host refutes these narratives, emphasizing that Diaz left because of pragmatic financial considerations—specifically, the lucrative offer from Los Angeles, where he could earn an extra $31 million over an additional year.
He criticizes the industry’s overreliance on bullpen arms, stressing that during the postseason, most teams don’t even use their “closing ace,” rendering the offseason obsession with bullpen overpaying shortsighted and financially reckless.