The Rockies will consider trade offers on catcher Elias Díaz over the next few weeks, writes Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The veteran should slot in behind Danny Jansen as a rental target for contenders seeking catching help.
Impending free agents on last-place teams are frequently trade candidates. Díaz fits the bill, but the Rockies haven’t always been eager to trade rentals even after falling out of contention. Colorado held Trevor Story and Jon Gray at the deadline three years ago. They extended Daniel Bard rather than trading him at the 2022 deadline. The Rox were more aggressive in moving rentals last year, although they still held onto lefty reliever Brent Suter only to watch him walk in free agency.
It’s less likely they’ll do so with Díaz. Heyman reports that the team declined to engage in extension discussions with the 33-year-old catcher. If Colorado isn’t interested in keeping him beyond this season, they’re better off taking the best offer on the table by July 30. Díaz isn’t a qualifying offer candidate, so they wouldn’t get any compensation if they let him depart via free agency.
While the return wouldn’t be huge, Díaz has probably played well enough to net Colorado a mid-level prospect or two. He has career marks in batting average (.296) and on-base percentage (.340). Díaz’s overall .296/.340/.417 batting line is around league average after accounting for Coors Field, as measured by wRC+. That’s more than adequate for a catcher.
An acquiring team probably wouldn’t expect Díaz to match that level of production down the stretch. He’s hitting .347 on balls in play, a mark he’ll have a tough time maintaining. Díaz doesn’t hit the ball especially hard and isn’t going to beat out many infield hits. There’s room for regression while remaining a passable hitter at the position. Catchers around the league are hitting .236/.300/.381 this season.
Perhaps more importantly, Díaz has dramatically improved his defensive grades. For most of his career, the Venezuela native has rated as a subpar pitch framer. That’s not the case in 2024, as Statcast has lauded his receiving skills in more than 400 innings. Díaz has always had a strong arm and been very effective at controlling the running game. He’s doing so again, cutting down 14 of 45 stolen base attempts (31.1%). That’s well better than the 22.1% league average.
Díaz is in the final season of a three-year extension that he signed during the 2021-22 offseason. He’s playing on a $6MM salary. There’s a little less than $2.6MM remaining on that tab. That’ll be down to around $2MM by the deadline. Díaz’s contract shouldn’t be too much of an impediment to a trade. Some teams are reluctant to trade for catchers midseason because of the challenges of quickly adjusting to a new pitching staff, but Díaz could work as part of a timeshare with an in-house catcher.
The Cubs and Rays are fringe contenders but could look for catching help if they stick in the playoff mix. Díaz’s former team in Pittsburgh hasn’t gotten much from the position, while the Mariners may look for a better backup behind Cal Raleigh to keep Mitch Garver working primarily at designated hitter.
Díaz and Jacob Stallings are the only true catchers on Colorado’s 40-man roster (though Hunter Goodman can play there in a pinch). They’re each impending free agents, and Stallings has also played well enough to be viable trade candidate.
A trade of one or both veterans could open some late-season reps for Drew Romo. The 35th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Romo is hitting .300/.331/.494 in 66 games with Albuquerque. Colorado will need to select his contract by November to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. They could take the final few weeks of the regular season to give the 22-year-old his first look against MLB arms.
Him going to the mariners would make no sense he would probably be a starting catcher for a contender that is weak at the position
exactly! There’s zero chance that the Mariners would trade anything of value for what would be a backup catcher (playing 1-2 times a week for them).
Garver is the M’s backup catcher for good reason — cause he hasn’t hit enough to be their primary DH! Seattle is looking to improve at DH, among other positions, at the deadline. This is a terrible take.
I would think that there is value in acquiring a competent catcher to let Cal sit or DH more often? That gives him some rest so he can hold up for a playoff run as well as satisfying your desire of upgrading at DH.
Cal went off about how other teams go out and actually get players to help (unlike the Mariners). What better way to disprove that than to get a player that lets Cal get a rest once in a while.
Diaz is miles better than Jansen.
Offense wise yes Diaz is miles better statistically. Some of that can be attributed to half his games played in COL. Not sure of his splits and just how drastic they appear to be.
But let’s just say splits are completely 50/50 split and his production doesn’t appear to be or aren’t inflated by home games. Jansen os far better at playing the position itself. So as a whole regardless of how inflated the splits are Diaz game as w whole is not miles better. And considering the importance of the actual position aspects of catching, many teams are better off forsaking offense at the position. Playing the position itself is far to valuable for the teams pitching and defense.
@seamaholic
Maybe better this year, and even if so it’s by feet not miles. The last three years? Jansen by a fair margin
I am somewhat surprised they are not extending him … is he not a TRUE ROCKIE anymore? Are they now “transactional”?
He’ll be 34 next season.
Rockies acquired him from PIT. So he’s not a true Rockie if you are referring to a player brought up and developed within the organization
No way, the Rockies are actually going to trade their impending free agents at the deadline? The universe feels out of balance
Hunter Goodman IS a true catcher. He was drafted as a catcher, but the Rox moved him to the OF because of Romo.
Lots of players drafted as catchers move to other positions. Goodman and Romo could have coexisted as catchers in the minors and majors, which indicates Goodman’s defense behind the plate was a significant concern.
Or it indicates that the Rockies wanted to keep his bat in the lineup. Goodman is not bad behind the dish, but his bat is what is going to keep him in the majors if anything does.
I’d love to see the bucs move on from Grandal, but I don’t see it happening.
I would like the Cubs to trade for Diaz or Jensen and extend whoever they acquire.
@Hiflew Goodman was not even a regular catcher in college til his last season. He had issues then contains base runners and it only got worse after being drafted and the further he progressed through the Minors.
Ultimately his value is with his bat and even of they gor help him develop to someone who could adequate manage all the aspects of catching at MLB level, who knows at what expense that would be to his offensive production. Most catchers seem and are widely believed to suffer someone offensively due to demands of the position. With the potential in Goodman’s bat it might not be worth the risk.
Should include Charlie Blackmon too as a replacement for belinger. But I don’t see the cubs competing when they just above the nationals and giants for a wild card spot.
Citizen
I like Diaz or Jansen not so much for this year, which is maybe two weeks from being lost, but as a key need for next year. Canario (if he had the defensive chops) Tauchman or PCA can sub for Belli. Not sure Belli will opt out, he might.
Blackmon to the Cubs makes zero sense for everyone.
The Rockies are the A’s of the National League.
The As have a cheap owner and the Rockies spent decently but unwisely.
Still, the Rockies have great fans and Sacramento will be very excited to have MLB in town. Only half the teams can be above the median record.
Not true at all. I live in Denver and see it first hand. The Rockies have a cheap owner that treats the team as an investment, not as something to keep relevant and competitive. Hence why they’re always out of it, and 20 games back, before the break. Most people couldn’t name one starter in their rotation. On the plus side, tickets are cheap if you want to see a contender late in the season. 😉
My post was absolutely true, read it again, Rockies spend in the middle, but just spend unwisely. They do not draft super well and they do not develop super well. The A’s do not spend at all, .
Colorado has the 16th highest payroll out of 30. A’s are 30th out of 30 in payroll. Here are two links to confirm exactly what I said. Freeland, Gomber, Quantrill, Marquez (IL), Feltner.
spotrac.com/mlb/payroll/_/year/2024/sort/cap_total…
sports.betmgm.com/en/blog/mlb/mlb-teams-highest-pa…
Wow. You’re so edgy. Now name their children.
The Monforts are cheap owners regardless of where they rank in payroll. Besides, payroll wasn’t my sole point but whatever you think. Oh, and they don’t have “great fans”. Otherwise, they’d sell out more games than just Opening Day.
No team needs a RHH catcher more than the TBRays. Any money seems too much for them though.