The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to fly high in Major League Baseball. After winning consecutive World Series titles, the Dodgers are preparing for the 2026 season with the hope of becoming one of the rare teams that win 3 championships in a row. One area that the Dodgers had slated for improvement was finding a consistent closer for their bullpen. They signed Edwin Diaz away from the New York Mets to fill that role.

Diaz met the media Friday and he was wearing a No. 3 uniform jersey. He was unable to get the same No. 39 uniform that he wore as a member of the Mets. That uniform has been retired by the Dodgers, as it was worn by the late Roy Campanella. The three-time Most Valuable Player was a stalwart catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers, but he was never able to play once the team moved to Los Angeles. Campanella was paralyzed in an automobile accident prior to the 1958 season — the first year the Dodgers played in Los Angeles.

Diaz explained that he selected the No. 3 because he has three sons and it is a tribute to them.

The new Dodgers closer has been a 3-time All-Star during his 9-year career. He is a 2-time winner of the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year. He also won the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award as a member of the Seattle Mariners.
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Diaz should be able to solidify the Dodgers bullpen

The 31-year-old had an excellent 2025 season for the Mets as he had a 6-3 record with 28 saves. Diaz had a 1.53 earned run average while pitching 66.1 innings for New York. He struck out 98 batters while walking 21, give him a 4.67-1 strikeout to walk ratio.
He pitched 3 years with the Seattle Mariners before his 6-year run with the Mets. He had a career-best and Major League leading 57 saves with the Mariners in 2018.