LOS ANGELES (AP) — Edwin Díaz pulled on a different blue cap and a white jersey with an unfamiliar number Friday when he formally left the New York Mets for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
One of the best relievers in baseball has changed teams and coasts for a landmark free-agent contract, and the Dodgers are confident Díaz's usual dominance will allow him to stabilize their chaotic bullpen by becoming their first true closer in five years.
Click to Gallery
Edwin Díaz speaks next to General Manager Brandon Gomes, middle, and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman during his introduction as a new member of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Edwin Díaz speaks during his introduction as a new member of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Edwin Díaz speaks during his introduction as a new member of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Edwin Díaz speaks during his introduction as a new member of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Edwin Díaz, middle, poses for photos next to General Manager Brandon Gomes, right, and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman during his introduction as a new member of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
And Díaz's famous, heraldic entrance music? That's also staying exactly the same.
“It’s going to be super exciting when the trumpets sound in Los Angeles,” Díaz said in Spanish. “It’s going to be special.”
Díaz left the Mets after seven years for a $69 million, three-year contract with the back-to-back World Series champions, who have a deep roster and even deeper pockets.
“It wasn’t easy (to leave),” Díaz said in English while speaking down the hall from his new clubhouse at Dodger Stadium. “I was playing seven years in New York. They treated me really good. They treated me great. I chose the Dodgers because they’re a winning organization. I’m looking to win, and I think they have everything to win, so picking the Dodgers was pretty easy.”
Díaz was already the highest-paid reliever in the majors last season in Queens, where the slender right-hander nicknamed Sugar became a fan favorite for his talent and competitive grit — and for his signature bullpen walkouts to “Narco,” a stirring, trumpet-laced dance track.
The Dodgers loved all of it — even the music. General manager Brandon Gomes was already musing about a trumpet-themed bobblehead.
“As we were looking to add impactful players to what we felt like was already a championship-caliber club, we felt like Edwin was the perfect fit,” Gomes said.
Gomes called Díaz “a selfless superstar (who) fits right into our clubhouse culture. He’s proven this time and time again. In the playoffs, he’ll take the ball in the fourth, fifth inning, take down multiple innings to finish a game. And it’s somebody that we feel like is exactly what we need.”
Díaz was outstanding for the Mets last season, posting a 1.63 ERA and recording 28 saves in 31 chances along with 98 strikeouts over 66 1/3 innings. His departure along with the exits of Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo this offseason has stoked serious fan discontent.
There's absolutely no discontent around the Dodgers, who are still basking in the glow of a second straight title won in spite of their bullpen.
Los Angeles' relievers stumbled to a 4.27 ERA that ranked 21st of 30 teams in MLB. High-priced veterans Tanner Scott and Blake Treinen were mostly ineffective, while several relievers missed large chunks of the season with injuries.
In the bigger picture, nobody has lasted long as the Dodgers’ dedicated closer in the four seasons since they parted ways with Kenley Jansen. No reliever has recorded more than now-departed Evan Phillips' 24 saves in a season for Los Angeles in that stretch, and last year’s profound struggles put bullpen help atop the champs’ winter priority list.
“We have a high bar to name someone the closer,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “You have to be one of the best. You have to be elite and dominant at what you do. Sugar is that.”
The Dodgers assuaged their bullpen woes this fall by frequently using their starting pitchers in relief. Prized rookie starter Roki Sasaki returned from a long injury absence and effectively became Los Angeles’ closer, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto secured the World Series MVP award by earning the victory in Game 6 as a starter and in Game 7 as a reliever.
Scott and Treinen are expected back, along with a group of solid-when-healthy relievers including Anthony Banda, Alex Vesia and Jack Dreyer. That wasn’t nearly enough for the Dodgers, who went out to get arguably the top closer in the game. Manager Dave Roberts' bullpen now is likely to be the most expensive in the majors in 2026.
“Adding an elite closer like Edwin is going to make any bullpen better,” Gomes said. “Now it allows Doc and our coaching staff to put guys into spots leading up to that knowing that it doesn’t really matter who’s (batting) in the ninth, that we’re going to like the matchup.”
Díaz, who will turn 32 shortly before next season begins, is wearing No. 3 with the Dodgers because his customary No. 39 is retired in honor of beloved catcher Roy Campanella. Díaz said he chose his new number to honor his three sons.
“Adding talent on talent is always exciting to do,” Gomes said. “One of the bigger things with Edwin is just the positivity. Everything we’ve heard is this guy is just an incredible human being, but also is going to work his tail off, mentor younger guys, set good habits. He’s going to settle into the clubhouse culture and also make everyone better.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
Edwin Díaz speaks next to General Manager Brandon Gomes, middle, and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman during his introduction as a new member of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Edwin Díaz speaks during his introduction as a new member of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Edwin Díaz speaks during his introduction as a new member of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Edwin Díaz speaks during his introduction as a new member of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Edwin Díaz, middle, poses for photos next to General Manager Brandon Gomes, right, and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman during his introduction as a new member of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
