The Padres are signing catcher Elias Díaz to a minor league contract, tweets Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase. Venezuelan reporter Rafael Petit was first to report (on X) that Díaz and the Padres had come to an settlement.
Díaz has been a free agent since he was launched by the Rockies on August 16. He reportedly declined to pursue a chance with the Giants as a result of San Francisco wasn’t prepared to ensure he’d stay on the MLB roster after starter Patrick Bailey returned from damage. Díaz gained’t instantly soar onto the massive league membership with San Diego, although a minor league deal now’s arguably preferable to a quick main league stint in San Francisco with the opportunity of being launched in September.
The timing of the signing makes no monetary distinction for the veteran catcher. Díaz remains to be assured the whole thing of his $6MM wage from Colorado. If San Diego calls him up at any level, they’d pay him the prorated $740K league minimal (which might drop off the Rockies’ books). Díaz has greater than six years of MLB service and can return to free company on the finish of the season regardless. His main objective with this deal is discovering a possible path to a playoff roster.
San Diego is eight video games forward of the Giants within the standings, in order that they’re clearly more likely to make the postseason. A participant solely must be in a corporation — not on the 40-man roster — by the beginning of September to be eligible for the playoffs. MLB can and continuously does grant permission for gamers on minor league offers to take part within the postseason as substitutes for injured gamers. Díaz can be eligible for postseason play with the Friars even when they don’t add him to the MLB roster throughout the subsequent 5 days. Had he signed with San Francisco and been launched in early September because the corresponding transfer for Bailey’s return, that may’ve formally precluded him from taking part within the postseason.
The Padres have three catchers on the 40-man roster: Luis Campusano, Kyle Higashioka and Brett Sullivan. Apart from Campusano’s two-week injured listing stint shortly earlier than the All-Star Break, he and Higashioka have dealt with the catching work. Higashioka came to visit from the Yankees as an ancillary piece within the Juan Soto return. The Padres anticipated him to again up Campusano, however he has really been the much more productive participant. Higashioka has drilled a career-high 15 house runs in 204 plate appearances. Whereas he’s not getting on base constantly, the facility and regular defensive work have made him one of many extra productive backup catchers within the league.
Campusano, against this, has a subpar .231/.274/.373 batting line and properly below-average marks for his glovework. He nonetheless has an choice remaining, so the Padres may ship him down with out placing him on waivers. It’s additionally doable they carry three catchers as soon as energetic rosters increase to twenty-eight in September.
Díaz was hitting .270/.315/.378 via 327 plate appearances earlier than Colorado launched him to get their first have a look at prospect Drew Romo. A lot of that manufacturing was pushed by an elevated batting common on balls in play at Coors Discipline. Díaz has strong contact expertise and hit 14 homers as lately as final season (not together with the All-Star Sport homer that earned him the sport’s MVP honors). He does a robust job controlling the operating sport and has improved his pitch framing grades this yr.
