Edwin Díaz to the Dodgers: Signed for 3 years and $69 million

Edwin Díaz close to the Dodgers: A luxury reinforcement for the bullpen

According to sources close to the negotiation, the Puerto Rican star closer Edwin Díaz is about to sign a three-season, $69 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Although the team has not yet made the official announcement, the news has generated great expectation among fans. Díaz, 31 years old, became a free agent after rejecting the last two years and 38 million dollars of his previous contract with the Mets. This move positioned him as the most sought-after reliever on the market. Before the 2023 season, Díaz had signed a record contract with the Mets for five years and 102 million dollars. After the 2025 season, the Mets extended a qualifying offer of 22.025 million dollars for 2026, which was rejected. If the agreement with the Dodgers materializes, the Mets would receive a 2026 Draft pick after the fourth round as compensation.

A dominant reliever

In the past season, Díaz proved his worth once again. With the Mets, he accumulated 28 saves, an ERA of 1.63, and 98 strikeouts in 66.1 innings, solidifying himself as one of the best relievers of the year.

His combination of fastball and slider was relentless:

• The fastball averaged 97 mph, generating the highest whiff rate among pitchers with at least 500 fastballs thrown.
• The slider produced a 44% whiff rate, reaffirming its status as one of the best breaking pitches in the circuit.

Díaz recorded the second-best effectiveness among relievers with 50+ innings pitched, only surpassed by Aroldis Chapman (1.17). He also finished second in strikeout rate (38%) and fifth in strikeouts per nine innings (13.3).

A historic career

Throughout his nine seasons between the Mariners and Mets, Díaz has built a career that places him among the most dominant relievers of the modern era. In 2018, he saved 57 games for Seattle, the second-highest figure for a single season in MLB history, surpassed only by Francisco Rodríguez’s 62. His best year with the Mets came in 2022, when he recorded a 1.31 ERA, 118 strikeouts in 62 innings, and 32 saves. Díaz enters 2026 with a total of 253 saves, a 2.82 ERA, and 839 strikeouts in 519.1 innings. Only Kenley Jansen, Craig Kimbrel, and Aroldis Chapman surpass him in saves among active pitchers. His average of 14.5 strikeouts per nine innings is the third best among active pitchers with at least 500 innings, just behind Chapman and Josh Hader.