Dodgers once again steal a Blue Jays target with massive free agent signing

The recent history between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers, both on and off the field, hasn’t been good from the Blue Jays' front. The Dodgers reeled in the biggest fish of this generation in Shohei Ohtani just a couple of years ago and prevented fan favourite Teoscar Hernández from returning to Toronto for a joyous reunion this past offseason.

Well, you can add another one to the list now, as the Dodgers have once again stolen a prime target from the Jays. On Tuesday, Los Angeles came to an agreement with top free agent closer Edwin Diaz on a massive three-year, $69 million contract to fortify their bullpen for the upcoming season. It's a potential nightmare scenario for Toronto that had been previously speculated on, and has now become an unfortunate reality.

Once again the Dodgers steal a Blue Jays target with massive free agent signing in Edwin Diaz

After all, Diaz has been one of the most dominant closers in MLB during the past decade. Ever since making his debut with the Seattle Mariners back in 2016, the 31-year-old right-hander has averaged 68 appearances, 33 saves, an elite strikeout rate of 14.5 batters per nine innings, and a sub-3.00 ERA and 1.04 WHIP per season over his nine MLB seasons. In addition, his 253 total saves ranks him 38th on the all-time MLB saves list, so he certainly knows a thing or two about closing out ballgames.

Diaz, a three-time All-Star, has also helped lead the New York Mets to the postseason in two of the past four years. The Dodgers now have a monstrous back end of the bullpen featuring the 31-year-old closer, along with Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia, which should torment opposing hitters for years to come. 

As for the Blue Jays, they missed out on a glorious opportunity to further bolster their own relief corps to follow up their impressive work with their revamped starting rotation. With Diaz now off the market, it now leaves Robert Suárez as the prime reliever free agent target that could be a substantial difference maker for Toronto heading into 2026. That is because, beyond the top-tiered closer remaining, the fallback options would enter Kyle Finnegan and Pete Fairbanks territory, where the impact could be significantly tempered. At the same time, that also means prospective bullpen competitors will also be going after Suárez now in free agency, making the task of securing his services that much more difficult for the Blue Jays (the Mets could easily come calling).

Toronto will need to act soon enough before they end up losing out on all of the best relief options this winter, as their bullpen remains a key area that needs improvement heading into 2026. The Dodgers have boldly answered back from the Blue Jays’ big moves so far this offseason, widening the competitive gap just a bit more once again. They're MLB's juggernaut for a reason.