The Los Angeles Dodgers made a big splash during free agency once again, signing closer Edwin Diaz to a three-year deal worth $69 million.
Diaz has long been a lights-out closer for the New York Mets, coming out to an iconic trumpet introduction out of the bullpen, and he will be bringing the aura and consistent dominance to Los Angeles for the next three years at Dodger Stadium.
He will step into the de facto closer role, especially since Tanner Scott has struggled, though the rest of the bullpen has a ton of question marks, some of which should be answered early on.
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Right-handed relievers
Edgardo Henriquez will be one of the more prominent right-handed pitchers coming in relief, along with Brusdar Graterol, who will be healthy for the start of the season.
Additionally, Blake Treinen will be on the roster once again, and he is one of Dave Roberts’ more trusted pitchers, getting multiple chances last season and it should continue again in 2026. Brock Stewart will be another name who will face right-handed hitters.
These four should end up ranking as the higher-average righties, while players like Ben Casparius and Will Klein could end up appearing for middle relief and longer outings if needed. Kyle Hurt is another option out of the pen, but it’s unclear whether the Dodgers will treat him like a starter or reliever. His role could change as injuries take place this upcoming season.
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Left-Handed Relievers
In terms of southpaws, Jack Dreyer should get another chance in the regular season, especially since he started last season so well. Alex Vesia and Anthony Banda are trusted arms for Roberts when he comes back, who will feature plenty over the 162-game stretch.
Dodgers southpaw Justin Wrobleski is a pitcher who could be used in multi-inning relief at times throughout the season, similar to how he was used in the postseason.
Finally, Tanner Scott should end up serving as the set-up man for Diaz. The Dodgers still owe him more than a high AAV over three years, and they need him to get going.
One of the ways that the organization will try to build his confidence up could be through trusting him in key moments.
There should be plenty of optimism for the bullpen heading into a new season and a clean slate for many pitchers that struggled last year. If some of the underperforming performers can turn it around, the Dodgers bullpen could become a legitimate strength.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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