"In my head, Edwin was going to go back to the Mets, so we were more focused on other, more realistic targets. But near the end, before we closed the deal, we started to sense that opening, that we had a real chance, and we struck. We talked about Tucker more recently, but obviously, for us, it was about maintaining a shorter-term deal, and any time you're doing that, you're introducing risk in being able to get that done."
"Suárez made a lot of sense as an alternative to Díaz, who was projected to command around five years, because he was more likely to agree to a short-term deal. However, the reigning National League reliever of the year surprisingly agreed to a three-year contract with the Dodgers. This was thanks, in part, to people close to him speaking very highly of the organization."
The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz, the two biggest free-agent contracts of the offseason, with Tucker receiving the highest average annual value and Díaz setting the reliever record. The organization initially believed Díaz might return to the Mets and focused on other targets, then sensed an opening near the end and completed the deal. For Tucker, the team prioritized a shorter-term contract, which introduced negotiation risk and shifted confidence only within days of signing. Alternative reliever targets included Robert Suárez and Pete Fairbanks, while Díaz cited the Dodgers' winning culture and treatment of players.
Read at Dodger Blue
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