Phils’ interest in Diaz forced Mets to move

The Mets were not going to let Edwin Diaz get away.

When the club heard that the Phillies were pushing for a deal to bring Diaz to the City of Brotherly Love, they pushed harder.

“We got word of that, I said if we were going to make this deal, let’s make it,” Mets COO Jeff Wilpon said Tuesday. “Not that you can’t do just Cano, but getting Diaz is the real sweetener.”

At 24 years old with four years of team control left, Diaz is the real heart of the seven-player deal that the Mets celebrated Tuesday. The American League reliever of the year after recording 57 saves in 2018, Diaz is what the Mets were really after in this trade.

The Mets dumped the salaries of Jay Bruce and Anthony Swarzak and, along with the $20 million they got back, it makes the next two years (of the five remaining on Cano’s contract) almost an even swap.

They are eating the rest of Cano’s deal and parted with three prospects to land Diaz.

That trio of prospects included the Mets’ 2018 first-round draft pick Jarred Kelenic, who had quickly played his way into consideration as being one of the organization’s best young prospects. Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen said the Mariners initially were reluctant to include Diaz in any deal, but once they finally did, Seattle insisted on Kelenic. The Mets admitted that hurt. “Listen, we realize this is a potential star, but he’s three to four years away, and if we’re going to win now, we’re going to do some things now that might hurt a little bit down the line,” Van Wagenen told Wilpon. “We’ll have room to fill that in at a later time.”

But for now, the Mets have one of the best closers in the game.

Diaz has 109 saves in just three years in the big leagues. And using a four-seam fastball that touches 100 miles an hour and averages 98, Diaz has struck out 301 batters and walked just 64 in 191 innings over three years.

Tuesday, Diaz, who came in for the press conference from his native Puerto Rico, was adjusting to his new surroundings. After handing out presents to local school children at the Mets’ annual holiday party, Diaz said he was just getting familiar with his new team.

“I am looking forward to meeting them at spring training,” Diaz said of the Mets. “I know we’ve got a great rotation, (Noah) Syndergaard, (Jacob) deGrom, (Steven) Matz, (Zack) Wheeler and (Jason) Vargas. I am happy to be here with a new team, a great team, a great rotation.

“I am ready to go.”