The New York Mets endured possibly the most disappointing season in their 64-year history, finishing out of the playoff picture after leading the National League East as late as Aug. 2, and holding a four-game lead for the NL's third and final wild-card spot on Sept. 8.

But on Monday, they endured yet another disappointment, though this one not nearly as unexpected, when they reportedly lost their closer of the last seven years, and one of the game's elite relievers, to free agency.

According to a report by longtime baseball insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, 31-year-old Edwin Díaz, who saved 144 games in 173 chances since joining the Mets in a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Mariners in 2018, on Monday exercised his right to opt out of his contract with New York, despite

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