Edwin Díaz Joins Dodgers in $69M Free Agency Deal/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Star closer Edwin Díaz is leaving the New York Mets to join the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers on a three-year, $69 million deal. The Dodgers, seeking bullpen reinforcements, add a veteran with a dominant track record. Díaz’s departure follows the Mets’ signing of Devin Williams as their new closer.
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Los Angeles Dodgers are bolstering their bullpen in championship fashion, landing star closer Edwin Díaz in a high-profile three-year, $69 million agreement. A person familiar with the negotiations confirmed the deal on condition of anonymity, as it remains pending a physical.
The Dodgers, fresh off their 2025 World Series title, continue to build on their powerhouse roster. The Díaz signing addresses a key need in the bullpen, which faltered throughout last season with a 4.27 ERA — ranking 21st in the majors.
Díaz, a three-time All-Star who turns 32 in March, leaves the New York Mets after five seasons that featured dominance, drama, and a cult following built around his electric entrances to “Narco” by Blasterjaxx & Timmy Trumpet. His deal with Los Angeles includes deferred payments, adding to the Dodgers’ ballooning deferred payroll obligations, which now total over $1 billion through 2046.
New York, perhaps anticipating Díaz’s departure, moved swiftly to sign reliever Devin Williams to a three-year, $51 million deal. Williams joins the Mets after one season with the Yankees and brings a strong track record as a late-inning arm.
Díaz debuted with the Seattle Mariners in 2016 before being traded to the Mets in a blockbuster deal in 2018 that included Robinson Canó and prospects like Jarred Kelenic. He has tallied 253 career saves in 294 opportunitieswith a career ERA of 2.95.
In 2025, he was back to top form:
His career was briefly derailed in 2023 when he tore the patellar tendon in his right knee during a World Baseball Classic celebration with Team Puerto Rico, causing him to miss the entire MLB season.
He had signed a record-setting five-year, $102 million deal with the Mets after the 2022 season — the largest contract ever for a reliever at the time. The deal allowed Díaz to opt out after three years and $64 million, which he has now exercised. Of that original figure, $15.5 million is deferred and will be paid through 2039.
The Dodgers are expected to pair Díaz with left-hander Tanner Scott, who struggled with elbow inflammation in 2025 after signing a four-year, $72 million contract. Other arms include Jack Dreyer, Anthony Banda, and Alex Vesia, but Díaz brings proven closer experience and postseason readiness.
The addition may free the Dodgers from using young ace Roki Sasaki in relief roles, as they did during their playoff run last season.
Díaz’s departure continues a reshuffling of the Mets’ roster. Outfielder Brandon Nimmo was recently traded to Texas, and first baseman Pete Alonsonow a free agent, is in discussions with multiple teams. His future with the Mets remains uncertain as winter meetings unfold.
While the Mets aim to stay competitive, the Dodgers remain aggressive in sustaining their dynasty. By adding Díaz, Los Angeles once again signals its intent to remain at the top of the baseball world — and it’s doing so by stacking elite talent.
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