BASEBALL

Dodgers sign Edwin Diaz to blockbuster contract

3 months ago - Sportingbase

According to the Associated Press on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the defending World Series champions, opened up their wallet again and brought another superstar on board. This time it is closer Edwin Diaz of Naguabo, Puerto Rico, who signed a three-year deal worth $69 million.

Diaz is joining his third Major League Baseball team. He previously spent three seasons with the Seattle Mariners from 2016 to 2018, and another six seasons with the New York Mets. Diaz was with them from 2019 to 2022, and again in 2024 and 2025. He did not play the 2023 MLB season. In one of the most bizarre injuries in baseball history, Diaz tore a tendon in his knee during the celebrations of the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic.

In 2025, Diaz was an All-Star for the third time. He pitched 62 games, had a record of six wins and two losses, with an earned run average of 1.63. During 66 1/3 innings pitched, Diaz gave up 37 hits, 12 earned runs, four home runs and 21 walks, to go along with 98 strikeouts, 28 saves, and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 0.87.

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Diaz was an American League All-Star for the first time in 2018. He led the Major Leagues in saves with 57. That is the most number of saves in a single season by a Mariner in franchise history. Diaz was also an All-Star with the Mets in 2022.

In 2026, Diaz will be making $23 million. That is only the sixth highest salary on the Dodgers. He is behind fellow pitchers Shohei Ohtani ($70 million), Blake Snell ($36.4 million), and Tyler Glasnow ($30 million), shortstop Mookie Betts ($30.4 million), and first baseman Freddie Freeman ($27 million).