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ESPN reported on December 9, citing sources, that the Los Angeles Dodgers secured the top closer on the market by agreeing to a three-year, $69 million deal with former New York Mets reliever Edwin Diaz.
Los Angeles made the move while zeroing in on bullpen help this winter, and the contract ended up setting a new average annual value mark for a reliever.
Diaz, a three-time MLB All-Star, turned in a 1.63 ERA for the Mets last season and closed out 28 of 31 opportunities. His mix of a power fastball and sharp slider has fueled big strikeout totals throughout his career. In 2025, Diaz punched out 98 hitters over 66⅓ innings and issued only 14 walks.
On the December 9 edition of “Foul Territory,” MLB insider Ken Rosenthal shared his thoughts on the deal that he didn’t expect coming from the Dodgers.
“Diaz was a stunner, and everyone knew that the Dodgers were in on relievers, late-inning relievers,” Rosenthal said. “But the feeling was that only on a one-year deal or short term, they wouldn’t necessarily want a qualifying offer guy, lose two draft picks.
“Well, they went to three years. They lost two draft picks and a million dollars in international bonus money, and they’re acting like the Dodgers always act. We probably shouldn’t have been surprised by any of this.”
Ken Rosenthal Understands Edwin Diaz Signing
Los Angeles entered the offseason knowing it had to shore up the late innings. The bullpen posted a 4.27 ERA, and the club let 27 saves slip away, a total that ranked seventh from the bottom across MLB.
The bullpen situation was so shaky by the time October arrived that Los Angeles leaned on its rotation for support, sliding Roki Sasaki into a closing role and calling on Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski, and, at times, Tyler Glasnow to cover innings in relief.
As a result, Rosenthal sees why Los Angeles committed major money to a proven reliever, even if the move sparks yet another debate about the club’s spending and how it fits into the league’s competitive balance conversation.
“I know this will probably evoke a fresh round of the Dodgers are ruining baseball, but if you remember, it actually went beyond the ninth ending of the last game of the World Series, and they were two outs away from losing that sucker,” Rosenthal added. “So, hey, obviously, they had made some bullpen moves last year. That did not work out so well for them.
“Edwin Diaz is much more of an established guy than Tanner Scott was, and Kirby Yates was older, of course, but it’s a huge move for them, obviously. And what they like about their team is not only do they have the starters from last year coming back, they’ve got some younger starters coming off injuries.”
The Dodgers Solve Their Biggest Weakness
Diaz takes over the ninth inning, while Tanner Scott, who the Dodgers hope can rebound after a rough first season in Los Angeles, will likely handle setup duties. Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, Anthony Banda, and Brusdar Graterol, returning from shoulder surgery, highlight what the organization sees as a deep and versatile bullpen.
Since making his MLB debut in 2016, the new Dodgers closer has racked up 253 career saves, tied with Raisel Iglesias for second-most in that span behind Kenley Jansen’s 334, per ESPN Research.
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. He previously covered the league for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has contributed as a freelance writer for The Sporting News. He also served as an editor for Athlon Sports and Heavy Sports focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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