Last season, the Boston Red Sox got lucky with Aroldis Chapman having a career season at the age of 37. The flame-throwing left-hander had the lowest ERA of his career (1.17) and had the highest K/BB (5.7) of his career. But lightning rarely strikes twice — and if Boston wants to ensure its bullpen dominance continues, they need a long-term solution: Edwin Diaz.
Diaz, 31, had a resurgent year of his own last season for the New York Mets. After an underperforming 2024 season, the three-time all-star finished the 2025 season 11th in saves with 28 and had a minuscule 1.63 ERA. He, like Chapman, also had great K/BB numbers (4.7).
Adding Edwin Diaz Would Give Boston 1 of Baseball's Best Closing Duos
With Chapman signed in Boston for at least one more season, pairing him with Diaz would give the Red Sox one of the league’s best setup and closer combinations in the game. Aside from both being known for their fastballs, they would offer the team two power right and left-handed options who can get out batters on both sides of the plate with regularity. Diaz’s slider-heavy approach would also perfectly complement Chapman’s fastball-first arsenal, giving manager Alex Cora flexibility in late-inning matchups.
While pairing both dominant closers on the Red Sox would be an ideal scenario for Boston, the team needs to address a few of its own free agents first. Before targeting Diaz, Boston will need to sort out key free agents like Alex Bregman — but if the front office truly wants to compete, investing in bullpen security should be just as high on the list.
This offseason, one thing is for certain. The Red Sox need to get busy and have a golden opportunity to transform their roster if they are willing to dish out some big money to marquee free agents. In years past, the front office has shown a willingness to spend, and this offseason, with a young core coming off a postseason berth, is the perfect time to act like a big-market team once again. If the Red Sox can lock in a shutdown duo of Chapman and Diaz, the rest of the roster will have breathing room — and that’s how championship runs begin.