The Los Angeles Dodgers made a splash at the Winter Meetings when they reached agreement with former New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz on a three-year, $69 million contract.
The Dodgers formally introduced Diaz during a press conference at Dodger Stadium heading into the weekend, where general manager Brandon Gomes confirmed the right-hander would be the team’s closer in 2026.
“Obviously adding an elite closer like Edwin is going to make any bullpen,” Gomes said. “Now it allows Doc and our coaching staff to put guys into spots leading up to that, knowing that it doesn’t really matter who’s in the ninth, that we’re going to like the matchup.
“And also he’s done this on the biggest stage, in the playoffs, having that confidence as well is something we’re really pumped about.”
Gomes’ comments pale in comparison to his initial remarks last offseason when the Dodgers signed Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72 million contract.
Gomes said Scott would get plenty of save opportunities but stopped short of naming him the team’s undisputed closer to begin the 2025 season.
The left-hander went on to struggle in his first year with the Dodgers and blew an MLB-worst 10 saves.
Díaz has long been considered one of baseball’s best closers and collected 28 saves to go along with a 1.63 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 66.1 innings for the Mets this past season.
With his new Dodgers contract, Díaz broke another record for a relief pitcher at a $23 million average annual value (AAV). The Mets and Toronto Blue Jays reportedly were in the chase for Díaz before he reached an agreement with the Dodgers.
Why Edwin Díaz is Dodgers’ closer
Díaz is set to become the Dodgers’ first dedicated closer since Kenley Jansen in 2021, but the team hasn’t necessarily changed their philosophy when it comes to evaluating that role and bullpen structure.
“I think it’s more the opportunity to get ‘Sugar’ and add him to our mix,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman explained. “For us, we have a high bar. To name someone the closer, you have to be one of the best. You have to be elite and dominant at what you do.
“‘Sugar’ is that, and I think watching him compete, seeing the selflessness in the postseason or in the last weekend of the year, ‘I’ll come in the fourth inning, fifth inning,’ whenever the game is potentially on the line.
“It fits in really well with our culture and the selflessness of a lot of our superstar players. So, so many boxes were checked in our mind. But again, just a very high bar to say, ‘This person is our closer,’ and ‘Sugar’ checks all those boxes.”
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