LOS ANGELES (AP) — Edwin Diaz donned a different blue cap and a white jersey with an unfamiliar number on Friday when he officially left the New York Mets for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
One of the best pitchers in baseball has switched teams and coasts for a landmark free agent contract, and the Dodgers are confident that Diaz's usual dominance will allow him to stabilize their chaotic bullpen, becoming their first true closer in five years.
And Diaz's famous heraldic entrance music? This also remains exactly the same.
“It will be very exciting when the trumpets sound in Los Angeles,” Diaz said in Spanish. “It will be something special.”
Diaz left the Mets after seven years for a three-year, $69 million contract with back-to-back World Series champions who have a deep roster and even deeper pockets.
“It wasn't easy (to leave),” Diaz said in English, speaking in the hallway of his new club at Dodger Stadium. “I played seven years in New York. They treated me very well. They treated me great. I chose the Dodgers because they are a winning organization. I want to win and I think they have what it takes to win, so it was a pretty easy choice to pick the Dodgers.”
Diaz was already the highest-paid pitcher in the majors last season in Queens, where the rangy right-hander nicknamed Sugar became a fan favorite for his talent and tenacity for competition, as well as his signature bullpen outings to “Narcos,” a stirring, trumpet-laced dance track.
The Dodgers loved it all—even the music. General manager Brandon Gomez has already been mulling over a trumpet-style bobblehead.
“As we wanted to add impactful players to a championship-caliber club, we felt Edwin was the perfect fit,” Gomez said.
Gomez called Diaz “a dedicated superstar (who) fits perfectly into our club culture. He's proven that time and time again. In the playoffs, he'll take the ball in the fourth, fifth inning, take multiple innings to finish the game. And we think that's exactly the guy we need.”
Diaz was a standout player for the Mets last season, posting a 1.63 ERA and recording 28 saves in 31 chances with 98 strikeouts in 66 1/3 innings. His departure, along with the departures of Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo this offseason, caused significant discontent among fans.
There is absolutely no discontent surrounding the Dodgers, who are still basking in the glow of their second straight title despite their bullpen.
Los Angeles pitchers stumbled to a 4.27 ERA, which ranked 21st out of 30 teams in MLB. Expensive veterans Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen were largely ineffective, while several relievers missed much of the season with injuries.
In the larger picture, no one has lasted as long as the Dodgers' closer has been committed in the four seasons since they parted ways with Kenley Jansen. No reliever has made more than the now-departed Evan Phillips' 24 saves in a season for Los Angeles during that stretch, and last year's severe struggles put bullpen help high on the champions' winter list of priorities.
“We have a high bar to name someone closer,” said president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. “You have to be one of the best. You have to be elite and dominate what you do. That's the sugar.”
The Dodgers have mitigated their bullpen woes this fall, often using their starting pitchers in relief. Prized rookie starter Rocky Sasaki returned from a lengthy absence due to injury and became Los Angeles' de facto closer, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto won the World Series MVP award with a win in his sixth game as a starter and his seventh as a pinch-hitter.
Scott and Treinen are expected to return, along with a group of solid, when healthy, relievers, including Anthony Banda, Alex Vesia and Jack Dreyer. It wasn't enough for the Dodgers, who were trying to perhaps get closer to the top of the game. Manager Dave Roberts' bullpen is now likely to be the most expensive in the majors in 2026.
“Adding an elite player like Edwin will make any bullpen better,” Gomez said. “Now it allows Doc and our coaching staff to put guys in positions, which leads to us knowing that it doesn't really matter who (batting) in the ninth, that we're going to enjoy this matchup.”
Diaz, who turns 32 just before the start of next season, wears No. 3 for the Dodgers because his regular number, 39, has been retired in honor of beloved catcher Roy Campanella. Diaz said he chose his new number in honor of his three sons.
“Adding talent after talent is always exciting,” Gomez said. “One of the biggest things about Edwin is just positivity. All we've heard is that the guy is just an incredible person, but he's also going to work as hard as he can, mentor the young guys, instill good habits. He's going to settle into the culture of the club and make everyone better.”
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
