The Yankees are a Possible Trade Partner for “Impactful” $14 Million Catcher
The New York Yankees have dropped out of first position in the American League East after a scorching start to 2024. Ryan McMahon, an infielder with the Colorado Rockies, doesn’t seem like a good match, but a trade seems doubtful. Instead, would general manager Brian Cashman be able to try to sign Colorado catcher Elias Diaz?
Before the July 30 deadline, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com talked about the performance of hot trade targets. The 33-year-old backstop may be a “potential fit” for the Yankees, in his opinion.
Feinsand stated, “The MVP of the previous year’s All-Star Game was having a great June (.357/.419/.536 in eight games) before a calf strain put him on the injured list for almost three weeks.” “Díaz came back on June 30 and started right where he left off; he’s hitting.306 with an OPS of.790 this season, and the 33-year-old could be one of the few significant catchers traded this month with less than $3 million still owed to him before he enters free agency this offseason.”
Diaz signed a three-year, $14.5 million contract with the Rockies, which is currently in its last season. According to Spotrac, he will earn $6 million in 2024.
After winning the MVP award for the All-Star Game a year ago, Diaz is having a career season at the plate. He is striking.304/.350/.432 in his first 246 plate appearances, with five home runs, 29 RBI, and 21 runs scored.
As Diaz approaches free agency and the Rockies are among the poorest teams in baseball, a trade seems like the obvious choice. But how much of a fit would he be in the Bronx?
Austin Wells and Jose Trevino in tandem behind the plate is what the Yankees are employing right now. Since they started playing on July 8, their combined output hasn’t been all that horrible. FanGraphs puts New York’s 2.3 catching fWAR sixth in baseball. Aaron Boone, the manager, could use more offensiveness at the position, though. The cumulative OPS of Yankee catchers is.695, enough for 14th place in baseball.
Even though the Bombers may benefit from an offensive boost at catcher, it doesn’t appear to be their top priority. Other players have been connected to New York in an effort to bolster the pitching staff and infield. However, Diaz would be helpful if the market doesn’t work in their favor and Cashman still wants to try to make a significant addition.
New York must quickly right the ship.
On June 10, the Yankees had an MLB-best 47-21 record. They had won eight of their previous ten games, so even though they only had a 2.5-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East, they were cruising. But things really started to go worse at that point.
From June 11–12, they haven’t won back-to-back games (6–16), according to Jomboy Media’s Talkin’ Yanks X account. On July 8, they awoke to find themselves three games behind the Orioles in the division with a record of 55-37.
With one of the three AL Wild Card berths, New York is still well in the playoff picture. Nonetheless, it’s understandable why a protracted downturn would raise some red flags following the regular season’s impressive start. This is particularly true in light of what transpired with the Yankees in 2023.
For the first time since 2016, the Bombers did not make it to the playoffs. Their record of 82-80 was also the lowest for the whole season since 1992 (76-86). In 2024, there is still almost half of the regular season yet to play. The Yankees’ chances of missing the postseason for a second consecutive season are not very high. However, if the team’s performance to revert to anything like what it did in April and May, it would help calm down the supporters.
