Reese Kaplan -- So When Will Jumping Up & Down Be Banned?

What would life as a Mets fan be if not for the inevitable major injuries, many of which occur for non-game-related reasons? Do you remember Duaner Sanchez getting a shoulder injury in a car accident getting food that could just as easily have been delivered? How about Bobby Ojeda nearly cutting off his middle fingertips on his left hand while trimming hedges in his yard? Gee, with the kind of money he was making you'd think he could have hired a guy to do that for him!

Now, of course, word and ugly video came out showing, Edwin Diaz, the major league's highest paid closer participating in the World Baseball Classic, celebrating with his Puerto Rican teammates by jumping up and down on the mound when they beat a key rival from the Dominican Republic. He took a wrong downward step and injured a knee so badly that he was transferred from limping to a wheelchair.

I'm not here to go into another debate about the pros and cons of the World Baseball Classic being played during Spring Training. That's another diatribe for another day.

No, today the question becomes how the Mets manage closing duties after Steve Cohen rewarded Diaz' dominance with a terrific and well deserved contract. The important thing, of course, is remembering that Diaz is a long term solution to an even longer term problem. By all means, don't rush the man back where he alters his delivery to produce less stress on the weakened knee.

In other seasons there would be a full press panic situation going on with no one capable of substituting for Diaz as he misses at this point probably half a season or more (medical results still pending as of Wednesday night). I can remember a lot of pretty awful relief pitchers who took the mound in a Mets uniform. Do you remember the feeling of Mel Rojas coming into a game? How about the latter stages of Doug Sisk's tenure?

Fortunately for the Mets they have some decent quality in the pen, including Adam Ottavino, David Robertson and Drew Smith. Now some of the others are a bit unknown (like also injured pitchers Brooks Raley, Sam Coonrod and Bryce Montes de Oca). Some don't have a ton of major league experience like Stephen Nogosek. Then there are others who are primarily starters like Joey Lucchesi, Tylor Megill and David Peterson. Then there are questionable arms like Elieser Hernandez, Jeff Brigham, Stephen Ridings and already demoted Zach Greene.

What the Mets need to decide is if they want to award the closer's role to one of their familiar names of setup guys with limited closing experience and thus weaken the setup crew, or will they give it to someone with no options left like Nogosek thinking he would still have very strong people backing him up. Drew Smith is another possibility but long term health has not been a strength of his during his career.

The other option, of course, would be to go free agent hunting or trade proposal fleecing by other teams who will now overcharge greatly for a reliever knowing the Mets' situation. It is probably more likely they go the bidding route first as all it takes is money and no sacrifice of personnel.

On the list of still available free agent relievers you have Zack Britton, Joe Smith, Greg Holland, Tyler Clippard, Hansel Robles, Derek Holland, Archie Bradley and Corey Knebel. There are others but this group represents the cream of the limited crop. Many prominent relievers retired including Steven Cishek, Jake McGee, Will Harris and Darren O'Day.

Now if they do choose to entertain the trade route, then look for the Mets to send away some of their better prospects who are blocked by others at their current position or attempt to find someone to take on a veteran like Eduardo Escobar and handing the 3B duties to Brett Baty earlier than expected. Of course, giving away someone like Ronny Mauricio or Mark Vientos for a half or one year rental seems ill conceived.

For now I would hand the closing reins to Smith or Nogosek because they're going to need strong help in the 6th, 7th and 8th innings from the likes of Raley, Ottavino and Robertson. That won't happen, of course...expect a new face atop a Mets uniform in the next week to ten days.