The Edwin Diaz signing has the Los Angeles Dodgers primed to enter the 2026 season yet again as the odds-on favorite to win the World Series.
Diaz is conservatively one of the top-five relievers in all of baseball — and there’s a case to be made he’s top ninth inning option in the league given his durability and ability to strike hitters out.
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Reports seem to indicate that the Mets offered slightly less money ($66 million) than the Dodgers did ($69 million) with the same amount of years (three).
Generally speaking, the Mets fanbase is livid at seeing their prized closer leave even with Devin Williams reportedly joining the team a few days ago. Noteworthy New York-based reporter Mike Puma listed a couple of reasons as to why Diaz could’ve possibly left Queens for the bright lights of Los Angeles.
In one of their classic efforts to rehabilitate a pitcher who once was productive, the Dodgers signed Diaz’s younger brother Alexis to a deal in the middle of this past year. Diaz pitched in only nine games for LA before spending time on the team’s Triple-A outfit. Diaz eventually left and ended up in Atlanta.
While the tenure was short, Diaz himself spoke very positively about his time with the team. Puma also noted that the now ex-Mets closer was none too happy about the team’s decision to get rid of pitching coach Jeremy Hefner. Hefner was with the Mets from 2020-25 and has since joined the Atlanta Braves staff.
There’s also the distinct possibility Diaz wanted to play for a true threat to win the World Series. The Dodgers have proven to be the class of the league, with players often praising the professionalism and class.
Regardless as to why he did join the team, the mere presence of Diaz in the bullpen makes the Dodgers a better team today than the one that won last year’s World Series in seven games versus the Toronto Blue Jays.
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Photo Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
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