ORLANDO, Fla. — Coming into the offseason, the Dodgers signaled that they would be conservative when it came to pursuing help in the bullpen.
Turned out, they were quietly plotting one of the most surprising — and impactful — signings of the winter.
In a blockbuster move on Tuesday, the team agreed to a three-year, $69 million deal with top free-agent closer Edwin Diaz, according to a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly, snatching the three-time All-Star and three-time Reliever of the Year award winner in a move that will transform their previously shaky bullpen.
Diaz, 31, was the consensus best relief pitcher in this year’s free-agent class. Over his nine-year career, he has a 2.82 ERA and 253 saves. This past season with the New York Mets, he had one of his best campaigns, posting a 1.63 ERA with 28 saves in 31 opportunities, while striking out 98 batters in 66 1/3 innings.
That track record positioned Diaz to be the highest-paid reliever on this year’s market, with most projections pegging him for a five-year deal. Because of that, the Dodgers appeared to be long-shots to sign him, with the club believed to prefer a shorter-term contract after watching their big relief signings last offseason (namely Tanner Scott) struggle in a bullpen that ranked just 21st in ERA.
However, in recent weeks, the Dodgers’ approach had begun to subtly shift.
The team had strong interest in Devin Williams before he signed with the New York Mets, staying in the running even as his bidding reached the level of multi-year offers.
They were showing interest this week in Robert Suarez, another high-powered arm likely to sign a multi-year contract.
Then, on Tuesday morning, they stunned the Winter Meetings by making their surprise signing of Diaz — giving the right-hander the biggest contract, by annual average value, for a relief pitcher in MLB history.
This is a developing story and will be updated.