Winter in MLB has arrived and a battle is already looming to strengthen their ranks between the Yankees, who are eager to form a championship team, and the Blue Jays, who are looking to put their latest disappointment behind them as soon as possible.
While the New York Yankees try to repair a bullpen that suffered too much in 2025, the Toronto Blue Jays are looking to make a big-money move to shore up their late innings. What no one expected was that the Yankees, wounded but aggressive, would jump into the bidding for Edwin Diaz to ruin the Canadian plan valued at up to $102 million.
Yankees vs Blue Jays: a race for the best closer available
The problems with the New York bullpen were evident early on. Gerrit Cole’s injury weakened the rotation, but the collapse in the late innings ultimately sank key games.
Devin Williams, who was supposed to be the solution, failed to stabilize the ninth inning. That’s why Brian Cashman’s phrase: “We’re going to do what it takes to improve our weaknesses” showed that this winter was serious.
In the midst of this context, the ideal name emerged: Edwin Diaz, who after an elite 2024 and a complicated 2025 with the Mets, declared himself in the market with a clear interest in staying in New York, but without ruling out other options.
Edwin Diaz, the ideal player to join the Yankees
Diaz comes off a season in which he posted a 1.62 ERA, 28 saves and 98 strikeouts in 66.1 innings. A combination of a high-90s fastball and a bat-breaking slider makes him a closer who fits right into what the Yankees need: dominance, velocity and presence to handle tight games.
It is estimated that his contract could be around $20 million a year for four or five years, which would make him the highest paid reliever in Major League Baseball. For New York, it would be an expensive, but indispensable move.
Blue Jays stand in Yankees’ way
The Blue Jays are also in need of a bullpen, so much so that they have considered moving Jeff Hoffman to the eighth inning if they can close Diaz. Toronto is willing to pay heavily and has already met with the pitcher’s agents. But while the Canadians plan, the Yankees act more decisively out of pure necessity.
Other arms that interest the Yankees
If the Diaz plan does not come to fruition, the Yankees still have serious alternatives. Ryan Helsley and Raisel Iglesias stand out as the main options. The message is clear, the Yankees do not want another year suffering in the ninth inning, so they are betting everything on rebuilding what they identified as their greatest weakness. If they manage to snatch the best closer available from Toronto, the Bronx could recover that air of security that it missed so much.
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