Every July 1st, the MLB world celebrates Bobby Bonilla day. Despite not playing since 2001, the New York Mets will pay Bonilla $1.19 million every July 1st through 2035. And their recent Edwin Diaz contract also features a clause featuring deferred payments. But for Diaz, the contract runs through 2042, per ESPN.

The closer signed a 5-year, $102 million dollar deal with the Mets. But the contract is far more complicated than that specific amount of money.

According to ESPN, the Mets will defer a specific amount of money from 2023-2027. It should be noted that Edwin Diaz has player options for both 2026 and 2027. If he exercises both options, the Mets will pay Diaz over $2 million dollars every July 1st through 2042. Even if he declines the options and enters free agency, New York will still have to pay Diaz through 2039. Regardless of what happens, this is certainly a Bobby Bonilla-esque contract situation.

The Mets opted for this type of contract with Edwin Diaz so they can continue adding free agent talent during the offseason. New York has World Series aspirations and they want to load up on talent ahead of 2023. With Jacob deGrom currently in free agency, the Mets would love to bring him back. However, there is no shortage of talent on the open market this offseason. New York has also been linked to Yankees' superstar free agent Aaron Judge.

With Edwin Diaz set for deferred payments, we can expect the Mets to continue displaying aggression in MLB free agency as the offseason rolls on.