The 2025 MLB Winter Meetings have delivered their first blockbuster move that will immediately reshape the National League landscape and the fantasy baseball closer rankings. On Tuesday, reports confirmed that the Los Angeles Dodgers have signed premier free-agent closer Edwin Diaz.

The move sees one of the game's most dominant ninth-inning arms head to the defending champions, instantly solving their most glaring roster weakness and solidifying their status as early World Series favorites. The sound of Timmy Trumpet will now be echoing through Chavez Ravine.

 

Edwin Diaz Contract

Total Value: $69 Million

Length: 3 Years

Annual Average Value (AAV): $23 Million

This contract reportedly sets a new AAV record for relievers, underscoring the value the Dodgers placed on acquiring the best closer on the market to fortify their bullpen. Diaz had opted out of the final two years and $38 million of his previous five-year deal with the Mets to re-enter free agency.

 

Edwin Diaz Stats

Diaz, 31, is coming off another dominant, award-winning season and appears fully recovered from the patellar tendon tear that cost him the 2023 campaign. His 2025 performance re-established him among the elite.

SeasonTeamGIPERAWHIPSOSVK/9
2025NYM6266.11.630.87982813.31
Career(520 G)519.12.821.0483925314.53 

2025 Highlights: His stellar 1.63 ERA and 0.87 WHIP earned him his second career Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award. His ability to miss bats remained elite, keeping his strikeout rate well over 13.0 K/9.

 

Los Angeles Dodgers Free Agency

The Dodgers' pursuit of an elite closer was a matter of public record. Despite winning the World Series, their bullpen was a key area of concern throughout 2025, marked by late-season struggles and a lack of reliable, high-leverage certainty.

Pre-Diaz Closer Situation: The Dodgers utilized a closer-by-committee approach for much of the previous season. Tanner Scott led the team in blown saves, and the team often relied on other arms like Evan Phillips and a mix-and-match approach. The addition of Diaz provides the undisputed, lights-out presence they lacked.

The "Win Now" Mandate: This move follows the club's philosophy of maximizing their championship window, currently anchored by superstars Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. By addressing their bullpen weakness with the top player available, they signal that no expense will be spared to contend for the title.

 

Edwin Diaz Fantasy Baseball Impact

This signing is an absolute game-changer for the Saves category in 2026 fantasy drafts.

The Winner: Edwin Diaz

Elite Volume: Diaz immediately vaults back into the conversation for the overall RP1 and is a near-lock to be a top-3 closer selected in drafts.

Maximum Save Opportunities: Joining the Dodgers means pitching for a team projected to be one of the top winners in baseball. This translates directly to the highest volume of save opportunities in the league. Diaz could easily challenge for 40+ saves for the first time since his 57-save season in 2018.

Stable Ratios: Paired with his high-end strikeout rate, the move from a solid Mets team to a World Series favorite ensures he will be a premier source of Saves, K/9, and elite ratios (ERA/WHIP).

 

The Losers: Tanner Scott, Evan Phillips, and Other Dodgers Relievers

Demotion to Setup: Former late-inning options like Tanner Scott and Evan Phillips see their fantasy value plummet. They will now shift into setup roles for the 7th and 8th innings.

Saves Gone: Their only remaining value in standard leagues will be in non-Saves categories, rendering them bench options or waiver wire fodder unless you play in a league that counts Holds. In Holds leagues, Phillips and Scott still carry value.

The Diaz signing stabilizes the Dodgers' bullpen and provides fantasy managers with a coveted commodity: a secure, high-strikeout closer on a championship-caliber team. Expect his ADP to rise significantly in early 2026 drafts.

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