Yandy Diaz was traded away from Cleveland so long ago that they were still known as the Indians when he wore their uniform.
Since then, he has blossomed into a star for the Tampa Bay Rays, a muscular leadoff hitter who will now oppose Cleveland in the 2026 ALCS.
There will be much made during the series about the fact that the Guardians once traded Junior Caminero to the Rays — but that was when he was still a teenager that hadn’t even played stateside yet.
Diaz, though, had made it to the major leagues with Cleveland before he was traded to Tampa Bay. He never realized his potential at Progressive Field, but he sure has at Tropicana Field.
Guardians-Rays Yandy Diaz Trade
The Guardians traded Diaz way back in December 2018 — back when it was the then-Indians making the deal with the Rays.
It was part of a three-team deal that involved Cleveland, Tampa Bay and Seattle
The Rays got Diaz and minor league pitcher Cole Sulser in the deal.
The Mariners received Edwin Encarnacion from Cleveland.
And the then-Indians picked up Jake Bauers from Tampa Bay and Carlos Santana from Seattle, giving themselves multiple generations of first basemen.
Ironically, Cleveland gave up on Bauers not long after, and he is now the cleanup hitter for the NLCS-competing Milwaukee Brewers.
Why Cleveland Traded Yandy Diaz
Diaz had played 88 games across two seasons with Cleveland, and it was clear he had bat-to-ball skills. He hit .283 in that time. But he had just a .366 slugging percentage, because most of his hits were singles, and he had just one home run.
The muscles on Diaz’s frame hid a key fact: He hit the ball on the ground a ton. Yeah, he hit it hard, but a ground ball won’t go over the fence.
Cleveland hasn’t developed hitters great in recent years, and they apparently felt that Diaz was who he was — at least to the extent that they preferred the Bauers plus Santana package compared to him.
Diaz then blossomed in Tampa Bay, though. He hit 14 home runs in his first season with the Rays.
He has since hit at least 22 homers in three of the last four seasons, and he has also topped .300 three times with Tampa Bay, including a league-leading .330 batting average in 2023.
Diaz has never struck out 100 times in a season. He’s one of the most naturally skilled hitters in the game.
And if Cleveland thought he’d never grow into more power, they were wrong. They’ll have to contend with all his ability in the ALCS.
Didn’t Yandy Diaz Play for Cleveland? Revisiting Trade That Sent Rays Muscular Leadoff Hitter