The Atlanta Braves have been plenty busy this offseason. They’ve patched some of their biggest holes by retaining closer Raisel Iglesias on a one-year, $16 million deal, and then went out and acquired Robert Suarez to a three-year, $45 million deal.
Both relief options will give Atlanta a big boost in 2026, but the Braves must stay active this offseason, as division rivals the Phillies and Mets are also going to be aggressive as the winter months progress. And the leading NL contender remains the Los Angeles Dodgers, who made a splash to sign former Mets closer Edwin Diaz to a three-year, $69 million deal. A recent report indicated that the Braves made a run at Diaz, but came up just short.
More MLB on Heavy: Braves-Pirates Trade Idea Lands All-Star Starter to Bolster Rotation
Braves Offered Edwin Diaz Five-Year Deal
As Edwin Diaz’s free agency sweepstakes were the biggest in the reliever market this offseason, it was bizarre that the New York Mets reportedly did not make a competitive offer to Diaz.
According to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo, the Atlanta Braves made an offer to Edwin Diaz of five years. The salary details and structure of the contract offer are unknown, but it’s interesting to wonder if the Braves made this offer before or after the Robert Suarez signing.
One can assume it was likely before, because the Braves wouldn’t be able to afford both arms. Edwin Diaz has since spoken to Los Angeles media about why he chose LA, and it’s because of his desire to win.
Either way, it was a win for the Braves when the announcement surfaced that Diaz would be leaving the NL East, as he’s given Atlanta problems for years.
More MLB on Heavy: Braves-Brewers Trade Idea Lands 2-Time All-Star Starter in Atlanta for Hurston Waldrep
Is Edwin Diaz’s Contract Worth It?
A closer receiving a $23 AAV contract in free agency is a rarity, but in this case, Los Angeles may not have overpaid.
Diaz is a three-time All-Star closer who has 253 career saves, including 28 in 2025 and 20 in 2024.
His ERA has fluctuated over his career, but it has never inflated above 4.00, and he has a few full seasons posting a sub-2.00 ERA (2025, 2023, 2018).
All-in-all, he has a career 2.82 ERA over 520 total games pitched, and 839 strikeouts.
After their recent signings, the Atlanta Braves are now top-five in Major League Baseball in terms of total payroll, which usually signals how much a team will be able to compete the following season. Atlanta is now among the biggest spenders in baseball, which includes the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, and Blue Jays.
The Braves’ missing out on Diaz may have also indicated that their front office then used the remaining portion of their offseason budget on both Suarez and Ha-Seong Kim, who signed a one-year, $20 million deal.
More MLB on Heavy: Braves-Astros Trade Idea Sends $73 Million All-Star to Houston for 2 Pitchers
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Report: Braves Offered Dodgers’ $69 Million Closer Five-Year Contract appeared first on Heavy Sports.