After a hot start to 2024, the New York Yankees have lost first place in the American League East. While Colorado Rockies infielder Ryan McMahon seems like a good fit, it’s unlikely he’ll get traded. Could general manager Brian Cashman instead try acquiring catcher Elias Diaz from Colorado?
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand discussed how popular trade targets have performed before the July 30 deadline. He thinks the Yankees could 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 said. “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 a three-year, $14.5 million deal he signed with the Rockies. He’s making $6 million in 2024, per Spotrac.
How Diaz Would Fit Into the Yankees’ Catching Mix
A year removed from being named All-Star Game MVP, Diaz is enjoying a career season at the plate. He’s hitting .304/.350/.432 with five home runs, 29 RBI and 21 runs scored across his first 246 plate appearances.
With the Rockies among baseball’s worst teams and Diaz headed for free agency, he’s a natural trade candidate. What kind of fit would he be in the Bronx, though?
The Yankees are currently using the tandem of Jose Trevino and Austin Wells behind the plate. Entering games on July 8, their combined production hasn’t been too bad. New York’s 2.3 catching fWAR ranks sixth in baseball, per FanGraphs. However, manager Aaron Boone could use more offense at the position. Yankee catchers have combined for a .695 OPS, which ranks 14th in baseball.
While the Bombers could use an offensive upgrade at catcher, it doesn’t seem to be their greatest need. New York has been linked to other players to improve the infield and pitching staff. But if the market doesn’t go in their favor and Cashman still wants to try and make a meaningful addition, acquiring Diaz would help.
New York Needs to Right the Ship…and Fast
The Yankees owned an MLB-best 47-21 record on June 10. Although it included just a 2.5-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East, they were cruising thanks to winning eight of their last 10 games. But that’s when things started going downhill.
They’re 6-16 in their last 22 games and haven’t won consecutive contests since June 11-12, per Jomboy Media’s Talkin’ Yanks X account. They woke up with a 55-37 record on the morning of July 8 and the Orioles being three games ahead of them in the division.
New York is still firmly in postseason position by holding one of the three AL Wild Card spots. After such a strong start to the regular season, though, it’s easy to see why a prolonged slump would sound some alarms. That’s especially the case following what happened to the Yankees in 2023.
The Bombers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Their 82-80 record was also the worst it had been in a full season since 1992 (76-86). There’s still about half of the regular season left to play in 2024. The Yankees aren’t in urgent danger of missing the postseason for the second straight year. But it would be good for the nerves of the fan base to see the club’s performance return to some semblance of what it was in April and May.
