The Los Angeles Dodgers have strengthened their pitching staff with the high-profile signing of Edwin Diaz, ending the Mets star’s tenure in New York and giving LA another elite arm after their recent World Series triumph.
And the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman offered rare insight into the acquisition of the three-time MLB All-Star, who debuted with the Seattle Mariners in 2016 before moving to the Mets in 2019.
He revealed that the 31-year-old right-handed starter, who has a career 2.82 ERA, was initially considered a long shot due to competing interest from other teams and perceived challenges in negotiations.
“We had a lot of interest,” Friedman said. “So we kind of kept in touch with them, but all the while just thinking, ‘Hey, the likelihood of this is pretty low.
Then, when the Mets signed Devin Williams, five minutes later I called the agent, and there was more of an opening than I had seen since before.
But through the conversations Monday night, late Monday night into Tuesday morning, it felt like the chances were actually way better than I was giving credit for. And then we got into ‘how do we close this deal’ mode, and fortunately, we were able to push it across.”
The Dodgers officially signed Diaz on December 12, inking him to a three-year, $69 million deal. The 31-year-old reliever, with the Mets since 2019, adds depth and experience to a Dodgers bullpen that has been dominant in recent postseasons.
Mookie Betts confirms latest career decision ahead of 2026
The Dodgers are also preparing for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, with key players confirming participation as Shohei Ohtani will play for Japan, and Will Smith is committed to Team USA, while other players remain undecided.
But one player who is not undecided is the USA’s Mookie Betts, who revealed that he will not participate due to family obligations, explaining his reasons on a stream with Adin Ross and N3on.
“Nah, man. I was, but I can’t now,” Betts said. “My wife, we’re having a kid, so the baby is due right in the middle of the WBC. She said she would divorce me if I wasn’t there for the kid. It is what it is.”
Betts represented Team USA in 2023, playing seven games and hitting .313/.324/.344 with one double, one RBI, and seven runs scored, contributing to their runner-up finish behind Japan in the championship.
The 33-year-old is coming off a season where he hit .258/.326/.406 across 150 games while transitioning to full-time shortstop after previously playing at right field and sporadically second base.
Fortunately, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes that skipping the WBC will benefit Betts, allowing him to settle into his new position and focus on performance as they prepare to chase their third World Series title.
The 2026 World Baseball Classic begins March 4 at 16:00 ET/19:00 PT, with Chinese Taipei facing Australia. Team USA starts March 6 in Houston, while the championship game is set for March.
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