CALM WINTER EXPLODES: LOS ANGELES PAYS RECORD AAV FOR TOP CLOSER
The Los Angeles Dodgers quietly changed the entire shape of MLB free agency this week as their supposedly “calm winter” exploded into a stunning power move. President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman shocked the league by finalizing a deal for three-time All-Star closer Edwin Díaz on a three-year, $69 million contract, setting a new record for Average Annual Value (AAV) for a relief pitcher at $23 million.
The move was a masterclass in calculated deception, exposing weeks of misdirection from a front office that had downplayed any intention of making a major splash this offseason.
THE ART OF MISDIRECTION: “THEY ARE ALWAYS LURKING”
Just days before the signing, the narrative surrounding the Dodgers centered on financial restraint and the potential trade of Teoscar Hernández for salary relief. Insiders now realize this was classic Friedman misdirection: flying under the radar while secretly pursuing the market’s most impactful bullpen solution.
- The Problem Solved: The signing instantly reframes the Dodgers’ 2026 blueprint by solving their most glaring weakness. The bullpen struggled mightily in 2025, posting a 4.27 ERA (21st in MLB) and causing the team to use unconventional closers in the postseason, including shifting starter Roki Sasaki to the ninth inning. Díaz, coming off a spectacular season (1.63 ERA, 28 Saves), provides the definitive, lights-out anchor they lacked.
- The Cost of Failure: This coup came at the direct expense of the New York Mets, who reportedly offered Díaz a very similar three-year, $66 million contract. Díaz’s decision to leave New York for a marginal increase in Los Angeles is widely viewed as a referendum on how the star closer views the two organizations’ championship competitiveness.
Agent Scott Boras summed up the sentiment across the league: “The Dodgers are the Goliath and they went and got something that they really, really needed. When a Goliath snaps his fingers, he seems to be getting what he wants.”
REFURBISHING THE BLUEPRINT: WORLD SERIES FAVORITES
The addition of Díaz—despite the team paying a high luxury tax rate and forfeiting draft picks—instantly solidifies the Dodgers’ status as heavy World Series favorites for a potential “three-peat.”
By moving their most volatile weakness into a clear strength, the Dodgers have reset the market for every remaining high-leverage reliever and signaled to the rest of the league that their championship window, anchored by Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman, remains wide open.
