The Los Angeles Dodgers have found the recipe for success, and no one can argue they aren’t the clear favorites to repeat as World Series champions. Behind this overwhelming organizational triumph lies a deliberate strategy: acquire the game’s biggest stars, offer them lucrative deals, and – most importantly – guarantee them the chance to win.
It happened again with the signing of Edwin Díaz. Beyond the stats that justify the move (his ERA, save totals), what truly stands out is the structure of his contract payments.
Edwin Díaz’s contract and the Dodgers’ deferred debt
Part of the money owed to the former New York Mets closer won’t begin being paid for over a decade, with payments stretching all the way to 2047 – a tactic that’s hardly new for this organization.
With Díaz’s deal, the Dodgers‘ total deferred obligations have reached $1.06 billion, according to figures reported by the Associated Press – an amount spread across nine players.
Edwin Díaz signed a three-year, $69 million contract that includes a $9 million signing bonus, salaries of $14 million in 2026 and $23 million in each of the following two years. Of that total, $4.5 million per season will be deferred and paid out in 10 installments between 2036 and 2047.
The star reliever – one of the top arms available on the market – joins an exclusive list of Dodgers players with deferred money in their contracts: Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Blake Snell, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Tommy Edman, Tanner Scott, and Teoscar Hernández.
In Ohtani‘s case, the Japanese superstar agreed to defer $680 million of his record $700 million contract with the Dodgers.
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