The Dodgers just handed Edwin Díaz a record-setting reliever contract—and it’s instantly rewriting the late-inning market.NL
A few weeks before Dec. 25, both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Edwin Diaz got what they asked for for Christmas.
The Dodgers, who struck out last offseason by signing closer Tanner Scott to a hefty contract only for him to largely disappoint, needed a reliable closer going into the 2026 season. With Diaz, who held a 1.63 ERA last season, the Dodgers should have their go-to guy in late-game situations.
“He’s somebody who is a selfless superstar and fits right into our clubhouse culture,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes told reporters after the signing. “He’s proven this time and time again in the playoffs. He’ll take the ball in the fourth, fifth inning, take down multiple innings to finish a game. And it’s somebody that we feel like is exactly what we need. And knowing that the impact that he’s going to have is truly exciting.”
For Diaz, signing with L.A. is a blessing from both a financial and a career standpoint. Diaz set an MLB record with his three-year, $69 million contract, becoming the highest-paid reliever in MLB history. The Dodgers have already named him their closer.
“I mean, for us it’s just we have a high bar to name someone the closer,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told reporters. “You have to be one of the best, you have to be elite and dominant at what you do. Sugar is that.”
Diaz was reportedly upset after the New York Mets, who he played for from 2019 to 2025, signed reliever Devin Williams to a three-year deal before offering Diaz a contract. After the Mets refused to give Diaz an average annual value of at least $20 million, the Dodgers and Diaz solidified their deal.
Now, with a fresh start on a championship-winning roster, Diaz is excited to be in Los Angeles.
“Being part of this winning organization, you are going to be champions, I feel all happy to be here. It’s an opportunity in my career with a team that is super good,” Diaz said in his opening press conference. “I come to contribute, I come to try to win, to help, to contribute my, what I know in the bullpen, with the young guys. And at the end of the day, you want to win and I think that here I have a good opportunity to win.”
