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Alden Gonzalez
LOS ANGELES — Yes, in case there was any doubt, “Narco,” the trumpet-infused melody popularized by star closer Edwin Diaz, is coming to L.A.
“It’s going to be super emotional when the trumpets sound here at Dodger Stadium,” Diaz, speaking in Spanish, said at his introductory news conference with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, three days after agreeing to terms on a three-year, $69 million free agent contract. “It’s going to be something special.”
Diaz, 31, spent the past seven years closing games out for the New York Mets. His electric entrance song helped make him an icon with their fans. But after the Mets collapsed in the stretch run of the 2025 season, Diaz opted out of the remaining two years and $38 million on his original contract, prompting the Mets to counter by signing fellow free agent Devin Williams to a three-year, $51 million deal.
And though the Mets expressed a desire to still bring Diaz back, their decision carved a path for the reigning-champion Dodgers to swoop in, ultimately addressing their greatest area of need with the best available player.
“It wasn’t easy,” Diaz said of leaving the Mets. “I spent seven years in New York. They treated me really good. They treated me great. I chose the Dodgers because they are a winning organization. I’m looking to win, and I think they have everything to win. Picking the Dodgers was pretty easy.”
The 2025 Dodgers became the first team in a quarter century to repeat as champions despite fielding a problematic bullpen. Their relievers combined to post a 4.27 ERA and blow 27 saves, tied for 23rd most in the major leagues. If not for an assortment of starting pitchers transitioning to the bullpen in October — primarily Roki Sasaki, who took down the ninth inning — the Dodgers would have had little shot of overcoming four playoff rounds, according to rival evaluators.
Diaz alone can help to alleviate that. His 235 saves since 2017 are the third most in the majors, even though he missed the entire 2023 season because of a knee injury sustained during the World Baseball Classic. This past season was one of his best. In 62 appearances, Diaz posted a 1.63 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP, striking out 98 batters and issuing 21 walks in 66⅓ innings. He made his third All-Star team, converted 28 of his 31 save chances, and now he’ll give the Dodgers their first star closer since Kenley Jansen departed after the 2021 season.
“It’s more the opportunity to get ‘Sugar’ and add him to our mix,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said, referencing Diaz’s long-held nickname. “For us, we have a high bar. To name someone the closer, you have to be one of the best. You have to be elite and dominant at what you do. ‘Sugar’ is that.”
Last year the Dodgers employed Diaz’s younger brother, Alexis, who Diaz said “told me great things about the Dodgers,” helping to sway him to L.A. Diaz also reached out to fellow Puerto Rican Enrique Hernandez, who is expected to re-sign with the team in 2026.
With the Dodgers, Diaz will keep his entrance song but, for the first time in his big league career, switch his number. No. 39 is retired in honor of Hall of Fame catcher Roy Campanella. Diaz pivoted to No. 3 because “we have three kids.”
Diaz’s three sons were seated in the front row of the Dodgers’ interview room Friday, alongside his wife and one of his agents from Wasserman. The Dodgers dominated the past two winters, adding Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Teoscar Hernandez leading up to 2024, then adding the likes of Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki and Tanner Scott as they approached 2025.
With Diaz, the most decorated closer available in free agency, they are on a similar pace heading into 2026, which they hope will end in a three-peat.
“The opportunity to add someone of this caliber to what is already a really talented bullpen was something that we weren’t sure was going to come to fruition,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said, “but I’m really fired up that it did.”