The Rockies positioned veteran catcher Elias Diaz on waivers Wednesday afternoon, experiences Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. The method will likely be resolved on Friday. Diaz is eligible to play whereas he’s on waivers, although that’s immaterial with Colorado having a break day Thursday.
It’s attainable (however not assured) that this marks the top of his four-plus yr stint in Denver. Waivers are irrevocable, so the Rockies can not retract the position if one other staff makes a declare. If he goes unclaimed, the Rox may merely retain him on the MLB roster for the final six weeks of the season.
Colorado reportedly expressed openness to shifting Diaz earlier than the commerce deadline. The New York Submit’s Jon Heyman wrote on the time that the Rox weren’t planning to discover one other extension with the upcoming free agent. For the reason that Rox are out of playoff competition, there was little cause for them to not attempt to get some sort of younger expertise in return. Rosenthal writes that the Rockies didn’t discover any staff with important curiosity in a commerce, although, with Colorado in the end holding him previous the deadline.
There’s now not any probability for the Rockies to get something in return for Diaz. MLB did away with the outdated August revocable waiver commerce system again in 2019. Any participant who has been on a 40-man roster in the course of the season can’t be traded after the deadline. The one profit to Colorado in inserting Diaz on waivers is feasible price financial savings.
The 33-year-old catcher is taking part in this yr on a $6M wage. There’ll be a bit of over $1.4M to be paid out between Friday and the top of the season. A claiming staff would take that complete sum off Colorado’s books. Groups can not negotiate with the Rockies to pay down a portion of the remaining cash. A waiver acquisition is an all or nothing transfer. Diaz can be eligible for postseason play if one other membership put in a declare since he’d be of their group earlier than the beginning of September.
Diaz had one of the best season of his profession in 2023. He related on 14 homers with a .267/.316/.409 slash line over a career-high 526 plate appearances. Diaz popped one other dwelling run within the All-Star Sport and picked up the Midsummer Traditional’s MVP award. His offensive manufacturing has taken a step again this season, as he’s hitting .270/.315/.378 over 84 contests. That’s nonetheless cheap manufacturing for a No. 2 catcher and Diaz has had a powerful yr defensively. He has reduce down almost 28% of stolen base makes an attempt and has barely above-average pitch framing grades from Statcast.
Golf equipment are usually reluctant to accumulate catchers midseason — Danny Jansen and Carson Kelly had been the one backstops traded on the deadline — due to the problem of shortly studying a brand new pitching workers’s strengths and weaknesses. Nonetheless, Diaz’s manufacturing this season can be an improve on what some groups have gotten out of their backup choices.
Waiver precedence is inverse order of the standings with out regard to American or Nationwide League. The White Sox have the highest precedence, adopted by the Marlins. Neither staff goes to place in a declare, since there’s no incentive for them to tackle the wage of an impending free agent.
The Cubs, who’re 5.5 video games out of the ultimate wild-card spot within the NL, are counting on a catching tandem of Miguel Amaya and Tomas Nido. Public estimates have them proper on the border of the luxurious tax threshold, although. It’s exhausting to imagine they’d declare Diaz for a really lengthy shot playoff push if doing so moved them previous that line. The Rays have fallen 6.5 again of a wild-card spot and may not contemplate a declare worthwhile. The Mariners, Padres and Diamondbacks are a bit of additional down the waiver order however could possibly be potential suits.
A declare would enable Diaz to take part in a playoff race whereas shaving a bit of cash from Colorado’s books. It’d presumably set the stage for the Rox to take their first take a look at prospect Drew Romo, whom they view because the catcher of the long run. They’ll want so as to add Romo to the 40-man roster to maintain him out of the Rule 5 draft by subsequent offseason. The thirty fifth general choose within the 2020 draft, Romo is hitting .297/.339/.499 this yr with Triple-A Albuquerque.
