MLB's hot stove cooked up a stunner during the winter meetings on Tuesday, as three-time All-Star closer Edwin Díaz, who was being pursued by both the incumbent Mets and the defending champion Dodgers, chose to leave New York for Los Angeles on a three-year, $69 million contract. The deal set an average annual value record for a relief pitcher.
It was a major coup for the Dodgers, who, despite spending big on two relievers last offseason, never had a reliable closer emerge throughout the regular season.
But it was a big blow to the Mets, who seemingly did everything they could to bring back the talented reliever. New York's offer was reportedly $66 million over three years.
So why didn't Díaz return to Queens if the money was similar between the Mets' and Dodgers' offers?
Díaz miffed by Mets, Dodgers' recruitment aided by brother
Díaz was reportedly unhappy with the Mets' decision to part ways with pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, according to Mike Puma of The New York Post. While manager Carlos Mendoza's status was safe in the aftermath of New York's stunning collapse, Hefner was one of five coaches New York decided to let go in a coaching staff shakeup on Oct. 3. Evidently Díaz, who recorded the three lowest ERA marks and two highest strikeout rates of his career during the six seasons Hefner was with the club, was not pleased to see the coach heading out the door.
Plus, Los Angeles, already a desirable destination with the Dodgers coming off back-to-back World Series titles, had a secret weapon in its free agent recruitment of Díaz: Díaz's brother. Alexis Díaz, an All-Star in 2023, was acquired by Los Angeles in May of 2025 but he struggled to the tune of a 5.00 ERA in nine innings pitched for the Dodgers. Los Angeles in September of 2025 designated Díaz for assignment. But he still spoke glowingly of the Dodgers organization to his brother, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN and Puma.
Prior to Díaz's departure, the Mets signed free agent reliever Devin Williams to a three-year, $50 million contract. According to Passan, Díaz was unhappy that Mets brass did not give him a heads up about the signing of Williams. New York president of baseball operations David Stearns, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, couldn't acknowledge the Díaz deal but seemed to indicate that the Williams signing impacted the club's desire to bring back Díaz.
“I'm not going to talk about any specific negotiation," Stearns said. "What I'll say is once you add to a certain part of our team that will change the calculus in how you look at your team in general.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Edwin Díaz Was Unhappy With Two Mets Decisions Before Spurning New York for Dodgers.