The Los Angeles Dodgers bolstered their bullpen by signing former New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz to a three-year, $69 million contract that includes more than $13 million in deferrals and a conditional option for 2029.
Díaz became a free agent after opting out of the final two years and $38 million of his contract with the Mets. The right-hander had spent the previous seven seasons in New York, where he found plenty of success and became a fan favorite.
The Mets reportedly still had interest in retaining Díaz but he decided to signed with the Dodgers due to their recent history of winning.
“It wasn’t easy,” Díaz said of leaving the Mets. “I spent seven years in New York and they treated me really good. They treated me great. “I chose the Dodgers because they are a winning organization. I’m looking to win, and I think they have everything to win. So picking the Dodgers was really easy.”
Díaz is coming off a season that saw him collect 28 saves to go along with a 1.63 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 66.1 innings for the Mets. He had the second-lowest ERA among relievers with at least 50 innings, trailing only Aroldis Chapman’s 1.17 mark.
Over the course of his career, Díaz has amassed 253 saves and holds a 2.82 ERA. Kenley Jansen (476), Craig Kimbrel (440) and Chapman (367) are the only active relief pitchers with more saves than Díaz, who turns 32 years old in March.
Díaz has been a model of durability, with the lone exception coming when he missed the 2023 season due to suffering a torn patellar tendon in his right knee during a celebration with Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic that year.
Edwin Díaz wearing No. 3 with Dodgers
With his usual No. 39 being retired for Hall of Famer Roy Campanella, Díaz is going to be wearing a different number in Los Angeles. He chose the No. 3 as a nod to his family.
“I talked to my wife, and we’ve got three kids, so that’s the reason why I picked No. 3, because of my three sons,” Díaz explained.
“I was hoping to get the number 39, but after I checked, the number was retired. They sent me the list of numbers, and I think that was the most obvious for me since I’ve got three sons.”
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
