Mets interested in Robert Suarez

While the Mets remain involved in Edwin Diaz regarding a new contract, the club keeps its bases covered by also contacting other major free agents. Reports from earlier this week named the Mets as one of several teams involved Devin Williams‘ market, and Will Sammon of athletics reports that New York has been in contact with both Williams’ representatives “several times recently.” Robert Suarez.

This makes the Mets the first club to publicly commit to Suarez this winter, although it’s probably safe to assume most or all of the clubs around Williams are similarly examining Suarez’s asking price. MLB Trade Rumors ranked Williams 16th on our list of the top 50 free agents this offseason and projected a four-year contract worth $68 million, while Suarez was ranked 21st with a three-year projection of $48 million. (Diaz was the top closer on our list, ranking 13th with a four-year, $82 million projection.)

Diaz and Williams are both entering their age-32 seasons, while Suarez turns 35 in March. The age difference alone will place some limitations on Suarez’s market, even though teams should still be open to giving him a high average annual salary on a shorter-term contract. Raisel Iglesias (who turns 36 in January) took a one-year, $16 million deal to return to the Braves, though Iglesias’ fairly quick exit from the market could indicate he simply preferred to return to Atlanta rather than wait more fully to see if he could squeeze in at least one more guaranteed year.

Suarez’s age could even be a selling point when it comes to how teams approach the bullpen market. Diaz is reportedly looking for a contract similar to his previous five-year, $102 million deal with New York, and while the Amazins have an interest in bringing Diaz back, Sammon writes that the team would prefer a shorter-term pact. Of course, if Suarez’s age leads to him looking at a three-year contract as a ceiling, that could work out just fine for the Mets or other teams wary of long-term commitments to relief pitchers.

Suarez felt so uneasy about his chances in free agency that he opted to forgo the final two years (and $16 million) of his contract with the Padres. There is certainly no indication that Suarez is slowing down, either figuratively or literally. Suarez’s 98.6 mph fastball is still among the fastest in the game, and he posted a 2.97 ERA, 27.9% strikeout rate and 5.9% walk rate over 69 2/3 innings in 2025. During his two seasons as San Diego’s closer, Suarez has closed 76 of 87 opportunities and has been named to the NL twice. All-Star team. He has continued his strong showing in October, with a 2.45 ERA over 14 2/3 career postseason innings.