The Toronto Blue Jays’ pursuit of an elite closer has ended in disappointment. Edwin Diaz agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving the back-to-back champions another weapon while leaving Toronto empty-handed.

Dodgers Win Bidding War for Edwin Diaz

The race for Edwin Diaz came to an abrupt end Monday night. Will Sammon of The Athletic broke the news that changed Toronto’s offseason plans.

“Edwin Diaz and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement on a deal, league source tells The Athletic,” Sammon reported.

The financial details arrived shortly after, and they set a new market standard. Jeff Passan of ESPN revealed the massive commitment Los Angeles made to land the elite closer.

“Closer Edwin Díaz’s deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers is for three years and $69 million, sources tell ESPN. The Dodgers, who were targeting bullpen help this winter, got the best closer on the market, setting a new AAV record for relievers,” Passan tweeted.

The Blue Jays had been aggressive suitors throughout the winter meetings. Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported earlier this week that both Toronto and Los Angeles were locked in a bidding war for the right-hander who just opted out of his Mets contract.

That competition between the two World Series teams drove up the price and ultimately pushed Diaz toward the franchise that already had two consecutive championships. Diaz posted a 1.63 ERA with 28 saves in 2025, striking out 98 batters in 66.1 innings. The dominant performance earned him his third career All-Star selection and second NL Reliever of the Year award.

Toronto’s Bullpen Search Continues After World Series Loss

The Blue Jays entered the offseason with clear priorities. Their bullpen cost them a championship when Jeff Hoffman surrendered a game-tying home run to Miguel Rojas with one out in the ninth inning of Game 7, allowing the Dodgers to force extra innings and eventually win 5-4 at Rogers Centre.

Hoffman’s 4.37 ERA as Toronto’s closer raised serious questions about his ability to handle ninth-inning pressure. General manager Ross Atkins acknowledged the team’s willingness to make changes, telling reporters Hoffman would be “open to anything that makes us better.” The implication was clear: land an elite closer like Diaz, and Hoffman moves to setup duty.

Toronto had already demonstrated its commitment to contending. The franchise signed Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract earlier this month, reinforcing a rotation that carried them to the Fall Classic. They even cleared roster space by removing reliever Yariel Rodriguez from the 40-man on December 6, creating flexibility for the bullpen upgrade they desperately needed.

That upgrade never came. Now Toronto must pivot to a shrinking market of available closers. Robert Suarez remains the best option left, but the New York Post reported the Mets, Dodgers, and Braves are monitoring him as well. The Blue Jays face competition once again.

Los Angeles will forfeit a draft pick for signing Diaz, who rejected the Mets’ qualifying offer. For a team chasing a third straight championship, the cost is negligible. For Toronto, losing the closer they needed to the team that beat them makes the wound deeper. The window remains open, but finding another solution just got significantly harder.