The New York Yankees should not even consider making this move.
The New York Yankees could definitely stand to improve their bullpen this offseason. It was very up and down in 2025, and Devin Williams — who actually had a really strong finish to the campaign — just signed with the crosstown rival New York Mets.
Plus, Luke Weaver is a free agent, and the Yankees don't seem to be in any hurry to bring him back, especially considering how much he imploded during the second half of the season.
So, in which direction will New York proceed?
Well, one area in which general manager Brian Cashman has always excelled is making shrewd bullpen additions, just like last year when he acquired strikeout artist Fernando Cruz from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for catcher Jose Trevino.
Outside of Williams, the Yanks have rarely swung big on relievers in recent years, perhaps still jaded from the monster contract they handed Aroldis Chapman back in December 2016.
But could the Yankees deviate from their norm this winter?
Jim Bowden of The Athletic thinks it's a possibility and is urging the Bronx Bombers to go tit-for-tat with the Mets, pitching the idea of a five-year, $88 million union with Edwin Diaz.
Edwin Diaz. Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images."The Subway Series gets a new twist, as the New York teams swap closers," Bowden wrote. "The Yankees take a risk with a five-year deal for a reliever but the immediate boost to the back end of their bullpen will be significant."
This doesn't make sense for the Yankees on multiple levels.
First of all, Diaz is one of the most inconsistent relievers in all of baseball. Yes, bullpens are typically a crapshoot in general, but throughout Diaz's seven-year run in Queens, he had moments of utter dominance while also having stretches where he made himself into a pariah.
The 31-year-old is also largely an every-other-year pitcher, so after having a terrific 2025 campaign in which he logged a 1.63 ERA and 0.874 WHIP, he is bound for an off season in 2026.
On top of that, the Yanks have a pretty strict budget as it is, so much so that there have been rumblings they might not make any significant moves in free agency at all. Why, then, would the Yankees spend nearly $18 million annually on a closer?
New York will probably comfortably head into the spring with David Bednar in the ninth inning role. It just needs to add a couple of other arms to round out the pen.
Splurging on Diaz — who briefly lost his job with the Mets in 2024 — is not the answer.