💵 Mets 'lost the bidding' on Robert Suarez
Almost A Met: Robert Suarez
Hello fellow Mets fans! Welcome to today’s edition of “Almost A Met.”
It’s a little bit different than normal! I’ve focused so much on the past of the Mets and their “what-ifs” but I figured why not take a look at what happened more recently.
That’s because, after all, RP Robert Suarez was “Almost A Met” this offseason.
Let me know if you like these more recent what-ifs. If so, I’ll keep doing them from time to time! Or maybe you don’t want to read about something more recent given last night’s Kyle Tucker news.
Let’s get into it.
Andrew
The Mets were ‘very much in’ on Robert Suarez
One word that could sum up the 2025-2026 offseason for the Mets is “change.”
When franchise cornerstones like OF Brandon Nimmo, RP Edwin Diaz, and 1B Pete Alonso all leave within days of each other (some by trades, others by free agent signings), no other word could clearly capture what will happen over the next few months.
The shift in the Mets dynamic isn’t coming, it’s actively happening.
While the Nimmo deal felt like it could be a chess piece in a larger plan to keep Diaz and Alonso, when their star closer signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, it felt like a clear shift was happening.
With Diaz off the board, it seemed natural the Mets would pivot to the second best closer on the market, RP Robert Suarez.
Suarez, a late-bloomer who made his MLB debut at 31-years old, had a very solid — if not great — four-year career with the San Diego Padres. Over this time with the team, he had a 2.91 ERA, struck out 219 batters over 210 innings, was a two-time all-star, and led the league in saves in 2025.
While he wasn’t quite Diaz, he seemed like a very good fallback option to pair with the recently acquired RP Devin Williams.
In fact, the Mets seemed to be laying the groundwork on a possible Suarez deal early in the offseason.
On Dec. 8, 2025, SNY’s Andy Martino said the Mets were “talking” to Suarez and fellow free agent reliever Pete Fairbanks.
“They’re engaged in the top of the relief market. They could go there,” Martino said on Mets Hot Stove. “For the same reasons of David Stearns’ rationality and desire for deals that makes sense, it’s not like a sure thing it’s going to be one of those guys, either, depending on where those markets go.”
The two camps “checked in regularly” according to SI’s Pat Ragazzo and the Amazin’s were “very much in” the negotiations to have him pitch in Queens.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported that the Mets — along with the Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays — were among the “most aggressive suitors” for Suarez.
However, a series of cascading events would lead to Suarez pitching for a division rival.
With Diaz out of the picture everyone asked ‘what’s next?’
On Dec. 9, Diaz signed with the Dodgers — sending a shockwave across Mets fandom.
There would be no more trumpets at Citi Field, and more importantly they would be losing one of the best closers in baseball. His departure would make an already shaky bullpen even shakier.
The reaction was swift and widespread.
As Reuters reported in a roundup of Mets fan reactions, they “fumed” over the loss. Some fans even called for the firing of GM David Stearns (an absurd suggestion, but I digress).
Other fans had more measured takes, pointing out Diaz’s problem with holding on baserunners and the idea of handing out a large contract to a closer late in his career.
What happened next?
After Diaz’s departure, the natural question quickly became: Who replaces him?
Many people naturally thought Suarez would be a natural fit to pair with Williams at the back end of the bullpen.
However, just a few days after Diaz’s monster contract with Los Angeles, Suarez signed a 3-year $45 million deal with the Atlanta Braves. Suarez would reportedly be the setup man to incumbent closer Raisel Iglesias.
As Ken Rosenthal, Dennis Lin, and Will Sammon of The Athletic put it, the Mets “lost the bidding” on Suarez (along with Diaz and former Met Tyler Rogers).
While the two sides were clearly engaged in talks before he signed with the Mets division rival, it may have been more of a “fit” than a “realistic reality.”
Jon Heyman, of the New York Post, reported that ultimately the Mets “only discussed concepts” with Suarez, and they didn’t seem “anxious” to pay him more than they handed out to Williams earlier in the offseason.
As Heyman noted, Williams signed for $51 million, but with deferrals it comes out to about $44 million, just one million less than Suarez ultimately signed for.
We’ll have to wait and see how Suarez pitches over the next few years. But as of right now it’s hard not to daydream of what a Suarez-Williams tandem would have done to help ease the sting of losing Diaz.
❓ Would you have signed Robert Suarez after losing Edwin Diaz?
Would you have signed Robert Suarez to a 3-year $45 million deal?
Next newsletter we’ll share the results of the poll! So stay tuned.
Last newsletter’s answers: 100% of Almost A Met readers said they wouldn’t have signed Yorvit Torrealba 3-year $14.4 million deal.
🧢 Did you miss this newsletter?
⚾ Mets news you need to know
🔵 Mets make a huge offer to Kyle Tucker, still in the mix for Freddy Peralta (Drew Van Buskirk/Just Mets)
🟠 Mets’ David Stearns ‘not blind’ to fan frustration: ‘What we’re doing is the right thing for our franchise’ (Alex Smith/SNY)
🔵 McLean, Benge lead Baseball Prospectus’ top 10 Mets prospects (David Melendi/MetsMerizedOnline)
🟠 Jesse Winker’s 2024 vibes were missing from 2025 Mets (Vasilis Drimalitis/Amazin Avenue)
👀 Next time on ‘Almost A Met’
We will have another “Almost A Met (Manager)” edition. You know his name, I promise. Stay tuned!