Edwin Díaz had options in free agency –– plenty of them –– and he still chose the Los Angeles Dodgers. That tells you everything.
The Atlanta Braves — a National League rival who has fallen on hard times of late, but knows a thing or two about building winners — reportedly offered Díaz a five-year contract. Five years. That’s not a courtesy call. That’s a serious, aggressive offer from a team that expects to be playing deep into October every season.
Not only did he choose them, he did so on a shorter deal — three years, $69 million — because Los Angeles was willing to do what no one else would: push his average yearly value to $20 million after deferrals, blowing past what the Braves were comfortable offering.