The Los Angeles Dodgers surprised MLB when they were able to sign star pitcher Edwin Diaz away from the New York Mets. He was easily the best reliever on the free agent market, and that was the Dodgers’ biggest need.
They now won’t have to scramble to figure out who their closer is in the playoffs next season as long as Diaz stays healthy. The Dodgers now have arguably the best rotation of starting pitchers in baseball and arguably the best closer.
According to Tommy Edman, the Dodgers players are very excited to have Diaz aboard, and he’s happy he won’t have to face him at the plate anymore.
“Yeah, we’re fired up,” Edman said of the team’s reaction to signing Diaz, via Dodger Blue. “He’s been my answer to the question, ‘Who’s the toughest pitcher you’ve had to face?’ So I’m really glad I don’t have to face him anymore.
“I’m excited to see his walkout at Dodger Stadium. It’s always one of the cool walkouts for an opposing team. So it’ll be pretty awesome to see it here.”
The Dodgers didn’t just make themselves better by the Diaz signing; they also made one of their biggest competitors worse.
Diaz Explained Why He Chose Dodgers
Diaz spent seven years with the Mets, so it was a tough decision to simply leave. He became one of the faces of the franchise and was a huge fan favorite.
However, the Mets haven’t had much playoff success despite having a massive payroll. They’ve only made the postseason twice in Diaz’s stint in New York. A big reason why the star pitcher wanted to go to Los Angeles is that he wants to win.
“It wasn’t easy,” Diaz said of leaving the Mets through a translator, via ESPN. “I spent seven years in New York. 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. Picking the Dodgers was pretty easy.”
Dodgers Were More Aggressive Than Mets
Diaz’s decision wasn’t just based on the thought that he had a better chance of winning with the Dodgers. The pitcher had specific contract demands, and the Dodgers were the only ones to meet them, according to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo.
“But Diaz, who turns 32 in March, wanted an annual average value of at least $20 million and less deferred money spread over a shorter period,” Castillo wrote. “The Mets, according to a source, refused to meet those terms. The Braves, though offering more years, also declined to meet the criteria.
“That left the Dodgers, the two-time defending World Series champions — with a nudge from Diaz’s Puerto Rican compatriot Kiké Hernández — to make an improved third offer: three years, $69 million with a $9 million bonus, $13.5 million in deferred money over 10 years, and a conditional $6.5 million option for 2029 that would trigger if he spends a certain number of days on the injured list. Diaz accepted, giving the Dodgers another All-Star for their loaded roster and another hole for the Mets to fill.”
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