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The Los Angeles Dodgers are showing no signs of complacency in the offseason as the reigning World Series winners added the No.1 closer in free agency, Edwin Diaz.
The Dodgers signed the former New York Mets All-Star on a three-year deal worth $69 million. Diaz became a free agent after opting out of his Mets contract at the end of last season.
Dodgers slugger Kike Hernandez reacted with a five-word message after Diaz's signing with the NL West franchise.
"F around and find out," Hernandez captioned his Instagram story featuring Diaz's picture.
Diaz earned his third All-Star selection during the 2025 season. The three-time All-Star finished the season with a 1.63 ERA, the second-lowest of his career, earning him the Reliever of the Year award for the third time in his career. He had previously earned the accolade in 2018 and 2022.
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The Dodgers signed Tanner Scott on a four-year $72 million contract last offseason. However, Scott struggled in his first season with the NL West team, posting a 4.74 ERA with a MLB-leading 10 blown saves.
Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes acknowledged bullpen need
The Dodgers' decision to sign Edwin Diaz comes in the wake of their bullpen issues last season. The Dodgers bullpen combined for a 4.27 ERA and their instability saw rookie pitcher Roki Sasaki move to a relief role to aid the bullpen.
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said the team didn't want to sign a closer just for the sake of adding an arm to the bullpen.
"We’re not just gonna sign a reliever to sign a reliever, knowing that different bullpen constructions can be successful in different ways," Gomes said Monday. "And certainly over the last few years, we’ve done it differently each year. So just making sure we’re adding guys we feel like are impact talent.”
Sasaki is expected to return to his role as a starter next season, with Diaz and Tanner Scott expected to be the team's go-to guys from the bullpen in 2026.
