Following a strong start to 2024, the New York Yankees have lost first position in the American League East. While Colorado Rockies infielder Ryan McMahon appears to be a solid match, he’s unlikely to be dealt. Could general manager Brian Cashman instead try to bring catcher Elias Diaz from Colorado?
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reviewed how popular trade targets fared before to the July 30 deadline. He believes the Yankees would be a “potential fit” for the 33-year-old backstop.
“Last year’s All-Star Game MVP was having a strong June (.357/.419/.536 in eight games) before a calf strain landed him on the injured list for nearly three weeks,” Feinsand told the media. “Díaz returned on June 30 and picked up where he left off; he’s hitting .306 with a .790 OPS this season, and with less than $3 million owed to him before he hits free agency this offseason, the 33-year-old could be one of the few impactful catchers moved this month.”
Diaz is in the final season of his three-year, $14.5 million contract with the Rockies. He’ll make $6 million in 2024, according to Spotrac.
How Diaz Could Fit Into the Yankees’ Catching Mix
A year after being selected All-Star Game MVP, Diaz is having a career year at the plate. He is hitting.304/.350/.432 with five home runs, 29 RBI, and 21 runs scored in his first 246 plate appearances.
With the Rockies among baseball’s poorest teams and Diaz set for free agency, he’s an obvious trade candidate. But how would he blend in with the Bronx community?
Jose Trevino and Austin Wells are presently the Yankees’ catcher duo. Since entering games on July 8, their combined production hasn’t been horrible. According to FanGraphs, New York is sixth in baseball with 2.3 catching fWAR. However, manager Aaron Boone could use more offence at this position. Yankee catchers have a combined OPS of.695, which ranks 14th in MLB.
While the Bombers could use an offensive upgrade at catcher, it does not appear to be their primary need. New York has been linked to several players in an effort to improve its infield and pitching staff. However, if the market does not favour them and Cashman still wants to make a significant acquisition, adding Diaz would be beneficial.
New York urgently needs to right its ship.
On June 10, the Yankees had the MLB’s best record, 47-21. Despite having just a 2.5-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East, they were cruising after winning eight of their last ten games. But that was when everything started to go wrong.
They’re 6-16 in their last 22 games and haven’t won consecutive games since June 11-12, according to Jomboy Media’s Talkin’ Yanks X account. On July 8, they awoke to a 55-37 record, with the Orioles three games ahead of them in the division.
New York remains firmly in postseason contention, owning one of the three AL Wild Card places. After such a good start to the regular season, it’s understandable that a prolonged dip would raise some concerns. That’s especially true given what happened to the Yankees in 2023.
The Bombers have missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Their 82-80 record was the lowest in a full season since 1992 (76-86). There is still almost half of the regular season to play in 2024. The Yankees aren’t in serious danger of missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year. But it would be excellent for the fans’ anxieties to see the club’s performance revert to something resembling that of April and May.
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