"Dodgers Sign Ace Closer Díaz! Puerto Rican Teammate Kiké Shares Recruitment Details"

The MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers recently secured star closer Edwin Díaz with a three-year, $69 million contract. Veteran utility player Kiké Hernández, 34, revealed in a recent interview that he was involved in the recruitment and had an important conversation with Díaz.

Díaz appeared in 62 games this season, recording a 6-3 win-loss record with a 1.63 ERA and 28 saves. With 253 career saves, Díaz chose to opt out of his contract and become a free agent after the season. After extensive negotiations, he decided to leave the New York Mets, where he spent six seasons, to join the Dodgers in pursuit of a third consecutive championship and his first career title ring.

Also from Puerto Rico, Hernández played a key role in the signing process. He said he told Díaz, "You won’t regret coming to the Dodgers," highlighting that the team contends for championships every year and that both he and his family would have a great experience there.

However, besides the positives, Hernández mentioned one "drawback" of the Dodgers: Los Angeles is a bit far from Puerto Rico. Still, he believes if that’s the only downside, it shows how nearly perfect the Dodgers organization is. This conversation helped Díaz make the decision to join the team.

Earlier reports from U.S. media noted that Díaz’s brother, Alexis Díaz, briefly played for the Dodgers this year, appearing in nine games (mostly at Triple-A). Alexis shared that he needed to adjust his pitching mechanics and that the Dodgers’ excellent coaching staff provided valuable support. This factor likely contributed to Edwin Díaz’s willingness to join the Dodgers as well.