The Rockies positioned veteran catcher Elias Díaz on waivers this afternoon, stories Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. The method might be resolved on Friday. Díaz is eligible to play whereas he’s on waivers, although that’s immaterial with Colorado having an off day tomorrow.
It’s attainable however under no circumstances assured that this marks the top of his four-plus yr stint in Denver. Waivers are irrevocable, so the Rockies can’t retract the location if one other workforce 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 transferring Díaz earlier than the commerce deadline. The New York Publish’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 motive for them to not attempt to get some type of younger expertise in return. Rosenthal writes that the Rockies didn’t discover any workforce with vital curiosity in a commerce, although, and Colorado in the end held him previous the deadline.
There’s now not any likelihood for the Rockies to get something in return for Díaz. MLB did away with the previous August revocable waiver commerce system again in 2019. Any participant who has been on a 40-man roster through the season can’t be traded after the deadline. The one profit to Colorado in putting Díaz on waivers is feasible price financial savings.
The 33-year-old catcher is taking part in this yr on a $6MM wage. There’ll be a bit over $1.4MM to be paid out between Friday and the top of the season. A claiming workforce would take that whole sum off Colorado’s books. Groups can’t negotiate with the Rockies to pay down a portion of the remaining cash. A waiver acquisition is an all or nothing transfer. Díaz could 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.
Díaz had the very best season of his profession in 2023. He linked on 14 homers with a .267/.316/.409 slash line over a career-high 526 plate appearances. Díaz popped one other residence 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 #2 catcher, and Díaz has had a powerful yr defensively. He has reduce down practically 28% of stolen base makes an attempt and has barely above-average pitch framing grades from Statcast.
Golf equipment are typically reluctant to accumulate catchers midseason — Danny Jansen and Carson Kelly have 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, Díaz’s manufacturing this season could 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 workforce 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 Christian Bethancourt. Public estimates have them proper on the border of the luxurious tax threshold, although, and it’s exhausting to consider they’d declare Díaz 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 won’t take into account a declare worthwhile. The Mariners, Padres and Diamondbacks are a bit additional down the waiver order however may very well be potential suits.
A declare would permit Díaz 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 longer term. 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 total choose within the 2020 draft, Romo is hitting .297/.339/.499 this yr with Triple-A Albuquerque.
