David Lennon: Former Mets closer Edwin Diaz — 'I was trying to get the best deal for me and my family'

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Edwin Diaz, the “Narco”-blasting ex-Mets’ closer once beloved in Flushing, reminded some former colleagues what they now would be missing during Tuesday’s live batting practice in the shadow of JetBlue Park.

Standing behind the home-plate screen were Carlos Beltran, special advisor to the Mets and currently general manager for Team Puerto Rico, and Jose Rosado, the team’s bullpen coach serving as pitching coach for this World Baseball Classic squad.

Mercifully, Diaz was in his blue-and-red Puerto Rico uniform -- not his new Dodgers’ gear -- right down to the customized spikes with the island’s flag.

The half-dozen coaches and handful of hitters observing were awestruck seeing Diaz this close. Until someone made contact, lifting a sky-high pop near the first-base side. Diaz instinctively broke off the mound, and took a few hurried steps in pursuit.

“EASY ... EASY ... EASY!” the coaches shouted in unison at Diaz, who realized his mistake, suddenly stopped and smiled sheepishly toward his freaked-out audience.

Rosado hung his head in relief. A coach slung an arm over his shoulder.

“What happened to me in 2023,” Diaz told Newsday later, “they don’t want the same thing to happen again.”

It’s never far from anyone’s mind. The sight of a jubilant Diaz crumbling to the mound -- celebrating with his teammates -- after closing out the Dominican Republic at Miami’s loanDepot Park three years ago in the WBC. He was carted off via wheelchair, needed surgery to repair a full-thickness tear of his right’s knee’s patellar tendon and missed the entire season.

That was personally shattering to Diaz, a black mark for the WBC and a catastrophe for the Mets. What happened this past winter was perhaps an even bigger blow to the franchise, when Diaz shockingly defected to the Dodgers for a three-year, $69 million deal. While that beat the Mets’ own three-year, $66 million offer, sources said his former team was not give a chance to counter before Diaz jumped to the back-to-back world champs.

“It was hard to make a decision like that because I’d been there for seven years, so I spent almost my entire career with the Mets,” Diaz said. “Being in that position, that’s a decision I made with my family. I always put my family in part of my decision. My wife, my kids. My older son is knowing more about baseball, so it was part of the decision.

“But at the end of the day, I was a free agent. I was trying to get the best deal for me and my family and that ended up with the Dodgers.”

Diaz’s parents, Beatriz and Edwin, watched Tuesday’s session from the small bleachers and plan to be with him during the duration of the WBC. Maybe it wasn’t so much the Mets fumbling the chance to retain Diaz as leaving the door open just enough for him to imagine a life with the Dodgers. He repeatedly said Tuesday how much he liked playing for the Mets, respected everyone in the organization and still stays in touch with plenty of people there.

But that’s cold comfort to the franchise Diaz left behind, and the crater from his departure will be tough to patch, even beyond the 144 saves, 2.93 ERA and 14.7 K/9 rate over his Flushing tenure. It’s the kind of loss that could sting for a while. Just ask Beltran, who is thrilled to have him as his Team Puerto Rico closer but still mourning his jump to the Dodgers.

“I don’t like it at all,” Beltran told Newsday. “He’s one of my favorite people in the game. He’s a great teammate, great guy, good influence in the clubhouse. Prepares, does well. He’s just a good person overall.”

Those who know Diaz best aren’t surprised that he signed back on to pitch for Puerto Rico despite suffering such a traumatic injury last time around. When it happened, the WBC’s loudest critics used him as Exhibit A for why the preseason tournament was a foolish exhibition not worth the risk.

For Diaz, however, it was an easy call. And reflective of how strongly many players feel about competing for their countries.

“I know he’s on a mission,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was both a player and GM for the WBC team. “For Edwin to come back and be a part of it, it means a lot to us as Puerto Ricans. And I know it means a lot to them in that clubhouse. Hopefully the trumpets sound (March 17) and we can get that gold medal.”

Cora obviously is referring to the blaring trumpets from Diaz’s entrance music, “Narco,” which became a Citi Field sensation. But once the WBC is over, that will only be heard at Dodger Stadium going forward. If Diaz gets the opportunity to close out a game in Flushing now, he’ll be greeted by booing so loud it will be heard in Manhattan.

That’s going to be a surreal scene for Diaz, who rose from the ridicule of his early Mets’ failures to author one of the greatest comeback stories in New York sports history. Only to bolt for L.A., of all places.

“I understand the fans are mad with me because I left the team,” Diaz said. “But I got to make the best choice for me and my family. I’ll be there for three years. You never know if I could end up again with the Mets. I’ll have my three years with the Dodgers and then we’ll see what happens.”

One thing we’ve learned with Diaz. Never say never.

By David Lennon

dave.lennon@newsday.comDPLennon

David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.