Still just about in the month of May, the Los Angeles Dodgers have struck early and made what they hope will be a significant bullpen addition.
The Dodgers today announced they had acquired right-handed reliever Alexis Diaz from the Cincinnati Reds, in exchange for minor league right-hander Mike Villani.
Villani has thrown only two innings of rookie ball to date. He was a 13th-round pick by the Dodgers in last year’s MLB Draft, and is a very long way off of the major league level at this time. Diaz is therefore essentially a free player for the Dodgers, at least in terms of assets spent.
The Reds, meanwhile, get off of the salary of a once-crucial player who over the last two years has lost his way.
Diaz Was Once An All-Star
Diaz was the Reds’ representative at the 2023 MLB All-Star Game. That year, he pitched to a 9-6 record with 37 saves, a 3.07 ERA, and a lowly .186 batting average against. It was not however his best season.
In 2022, his first in the majors, Diaz was amongst the game’s best relievers. Initially used as a part of a closer-by-committee Reds bullpen – who admittedly did not have many games to save in their 3-22 start to the season – Diaz emerged to be the highlight of a down year. He recorded a 1.59 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 59 outings, with 13 holds and 10 saves, as the Reds lost 100 games for only the second time in the franchise’s lengthy history.
That was then, though. This is now, and Diaz – a former 12th-round pick himself and the brother of New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz – is off to a tough start in 2025. In six outings for the Reds, he walked five and struck out only three in the process of giving up eight runs, and had been optioned down to the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate Louisville Bats at the beginning of the month. With Louisville, Diaz had recorded a 4.61 ERA in 14 outings, still struggling badly with his control of all pitches – and the velocity continues to drop.
Note how his slot dropped and he lost velo every year.
Career-worst velo this year (93.0 mph).
He has to get moving right and get his posture back to being more stacked.
2022 vs. 2025 mechanics:
Dodgers Buying Low
The Reds habr been covering the closer spot without Diaz by using veteran righty Emilio Pagan, who has 13 saves on the season to date with a 0.92 WHIP, and are developing young right-handed Luis Mey for the position long term. They clearly however felt that a Diaz bounce-back was not going to be forthcoming, and have traded him away with his value at its lowest.
By contrast, the Dodgers will be hoping they have bought low on a reclamation project. At one time, Diaz was arguably the most valuable piece the Reds had to offer in trade, yet now they are essentially salary-dumping the remainder of the $4.5 million contract he signed in arbitration this winter.
Diaz joins a Dodgers bullpen that has given up a 3.98 ERA so far this year, a league-average number despite a lengthy injury list. Michael Kopech, Edgardo Henriquez, Kyle Hurt, Kirby Yates and regular closer Evan Phillips are just some of the names from the expected bullpen that can currently be found on the Dodgers’ injured list, which currently includes an incredible 14 players, all of whom are pitchers. This also does not include Shohei Ohtani, who is still yet to pitch in his recovery from 2023 Tommy John surgery.
Diaz is not expected to join the Dodgers immediately, as the team will send him to Arizona to work on his delivery. The Dodgers are therefore paying what will, after 110% luxury tax payments, amount to approximately $6 million in a bid to rehabilitate a once-excellent player who has lost everything but his name recognition over the past two years.
To make room on the 40-man roster for Diaz, Phillips will head to the 60-day disabled list.
Dodgers Acquire Cincinnati Reds’ All-Star Closer