The Mets Won the Edwin Diaz Trade. Eventually.

Díaz adapted so quickly that he skipped Class AAA on his way to the majors. He threw harder in relief, he said, and when he learned a new slider grip from the coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. and his teammate Joaquin Benoit — throwing across the seams with his index and middle fingers, his thumb hugging a seam underneath — he became a star.

The other standouts of the trade have faded: Canó, 39, missed the 2021 season after his second positive test for performance-enhancing drugs, and was released this season by the Mets, Atlanta and San Diego. Kelenic has hit .167 in 500 major league plate appearances and is currently at Class AAA, and Dunn has a 5.12 E.R.A. in four starts for Cincinnati.

It took a while — and a lot of dollars wasted on Canó — but the logic behind the trade has prevailed. Van Wagenen still sees Díaz when he visits Citi Field, offering friendly encouragement, and said he admires the way Díaz persevered through their shared frustration of 2019.

If he feels vindicated now for the trade that defined his tenure in Flushing, Van Wagenen is not saying. But he sure is enjoying the show.

“I’m still a fan of the organization and I go to games, and I’m excited to see them doing well,” Van Wagenen said. “And obviously, with Edwin, he’s such a big part of it. I’m very happy for him.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/26/sports/baseball/edwin-diaz-mets.html