There is no indication that will happen to Bard now. Few know this better than Bard the last time before 2022 that he had a sub 1.000 WHIP - the 2012 season - it ballooned to 1.736 the following year, with strikeout and home-runs-per-9-innings rate that shrank and mushroomed, respectively, to equal and alarming degrees. But if Moustakas’ form in the regular season looks like his last two years and Bryant succumbs again, the Rockies will find themselves in the same forlorn spot they’ve come to sadly know too well.īard’s inspirational story now has the sharp teeth of last year’s dominant form. Spring-training pickup Mike Moustakas is swinging a hot bat in Arizona and Kris Bryant is relatively healthy. He’s likely out for the season with a shoulder injury. Now, take that team and subtract its overall WAR leader and reigning NL Gold Glove winner, Brendan Rodgers. The Rockies haven’t been merely losing with the exception of the 2017-18 wild-card seasons, they haven’t been close to winning.Īnd last season, despite Bard’s MLB-leading relief-pitcher WAR, the Rockies lost 94 games and finished 19 games out of the last wild-card spot. What’s more, in just one of those 10 seasons did the Rockies’ win total come within 10 games of their loss tally - and that was in 2020, when they played just 60 games. But a closer can only do but so much on a team spiraling toward its fourth-consecutive losing season - and its 10th in the last 12 seasons. The endorphins kick in when you keep someone like Bard around. When the Rockies re-signed him last August, the move was as curious as it was heartwarming. At one point spanning from June through August, the Rockies lost six consecutive extra-innings contests. Twenty-three pitchers ranked above Bard last year, but all were starters.īy that standard, Bard was the best in the biz.įor plenty of spurts last year, one looked at the Bard-anchored bullpen during games the Rockies led and said, “They’ve got some good stuff here.” Now, the ‘pen wasn’t deep, and when the Rockies got into the Manfredball chaos of the contrived extra-innings format, they often ran short of quality. All rights reserved.And his 3.8 WAR led all Major League Baseball relief pitchers in 2022. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information / Your California Privacy Rights are applicable to you. ^ Back to Top ^ © 2023 ESPN Internet Ventures. And he's become a fan favorite in New York, with the hit song "Narco," by Australian musician Timmy Trumpet, played at Citi Field every time he exits the bullpen before an appearance. In his debut season in the Big Apple, he had a 5.59 ERA (seventh worst among relievers), 15 homers allowed and -0.6 bWAR in 58 innings, as Mets fans routinely booed him while on the mound.ĭiaz has righted the ship since, culminating with the dominant 2022. Diaz had starred in Seattle, leading the majors with 57 saves in 2018 - which tied Bobby Thigpen (1990) for the second most in a single season in baseball history, trailing only Francisco Rodriguez's 62 in 2008.īut his early tenure in New York was anything but successful. Keeping Diaz, 28, is a massive move for the Mets to start the offseason, as one of baseball's top free agents is now off the board.ĭiaz was part of a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Mariners in December 2018, one that saw him and veteran second baseman Robinson Cano go to the Mets for a prospect-heavy package. New York's bullpen finished 10th in the majors in ERA, and its top relievers in innings pitched (Adam Ottavino, Seth Lugo, Trevor Williams and Diaz) were among the 131 players across the major leagues who were declared free agents Sunday, the day after the 2022 season ended. The Diaz deal is the first nine-figure contract ever for a closer, and for the first time, it takes the position into the $20 million-plus range.ĭiaz, who made $10 million this year, earned the big payday after a dominant 2022 season that saw him finish with 32 saves, a 1.31 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 62 innings for a Mets team that won 101 games. There's an opt-out and a full no-trade clause plus a sixth-year option in the contract, sources said. Star closer Edwin Diaz and the New York Mets are in agreement on a five-year, $102 million contract, pending a physical, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Sunday. Sources: Edwin Diaz, Mets agree to 5-year, $102 million deal You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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