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Mets and Dodgers could be 'battling' for superstar free agent after $69 million Edwin Diaz clash
TL;DR
Edwin Diaz signed a record-setting three-year, $69 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, surpassing the New York Mets' offer of $66 million. This move could spark a competitive battle between the Mets and Dodgers for other superstar free agents.
Key points
- Edwin Diaz signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers
- Contract worth $69 million over three years
- Mets offered $66 million, falling short
- Record average annual value for a reliever
- Potential rivalry for free agents between Mets and Dodgers
New York MetsLos Angeles Dodgers
Mets and Dodgers could be 'battling' for superstar free agent after $69 million Edwin Diaz clash originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Many expected All-Star closer Edwin Diaz to return to the New York Mets this past offseason.
Instead, he joined the Los Angeles Dodgers on a three-year, $69 million contract. At $23 million per year, the deal set a league record for average annual value for a reliever.
"The Dodgers played a hype video for Edwin Diaz at Dodger Stadium when his former team, the New York Mets, came in town," FanSided's Robert Murray wrote Thursday. "Some folks had an issue with it. I, however, did not."
According to a December report from MLB.com's Anthony DiComo, the Mets' final offer to Diaz was three years and $66 million, with deferrals. The Dodgers edged New York's deal by just three million, but it made a difference.
"One thing I did think was noteworthy: Steve Cohen, the Mets’ big-spending owner, was in attendance and witnessed it," Murray added. "Is that potentially on his mind with the Mets and Dodgers, among others, likely to be battling it out for superstar left-hander Tarik Skubal in free agency? Maybe I’m reaching. But it’s been on my mind."
Q&A
What was Edwin Diaz's contract with the Dodgers?
Edwin Diaz signed a three-year contract worth $69 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
How did the Mets' offer to Edwin Diaz compare to the Dodgers'?
The New York Mets offered Edwin Diaz three years and $66 million, which the Dodgers surpassed by $3 million.
What record did Edwin Diaz's contract set in MLB?
Edwin Diaz's contract set a league record for average annual value for a reliever at $23 million per year.
