Despite a recent quality outing in a huge New York Yankees‘ 15-1 victory, there are still doubts about Austin Wells behind the plate, and his struggles have been well-documented. Whether warranted or not, the Yankees could use at least another catcher, aside from JC Escarra, on the roster to help platoon with Wells, because both Yankees catchers are lefties, and New York’s lineup already features plenty of left-handed hitters.
There have been speculative reports that Escarra is actually trying to become a switch-hitter, which I guess makes sense to help with the balance in the order, but what are the chances that it actually comes to fruition? It seems more like an attempt at more at-bats, which is honestly a pretty smart play. Anyway, I digress. The Yankees still need to think about adding a right-handed catcher, and recently DFA’d Elias Diaz is a name to keep an eye on, as he’s a former MLB All-Star catcher who could be a cheap option for the Yankees.
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Should the Yankees Target Elias Diaz?
GettyMEXICO CITY, MEXICO – APRIL 27: Elias Diaz #35 of the Colorado Rockies hits the ball in the 5th inning during the MLB World Tour Mexico City Series between the Houston Astros and the Colorado Rockies at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú on April 27, 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
Recently, a Yankees writer for SI.com, Devon Platana, urged New York to ‘monitor’ and ‘keep an eye’ on Eliaz Diaz:
“The 2026 season hasn’t been his best performance, but Diáz is at least hitting the ball better than New York’s catcher duo. He’s slashing .227/.261/.591 with two home runs, five RBIs and a walk in 10 games (22 at-bats), all while boasting a better hard-hit rate (41.2%) than the MLB average (39.0%). His max exit velocity of 113.9 mph even matched his career high, per Baseball Savant.”
MLBTR.com’s Anthony Franco wrote about the Eliaz Diaz news and had this to say about his situation (on May 26):
“The Royals sent veteran catcher Elias Díaz outright to Triple-A Omaha, according to the MLB.com transaction log. It’s unclear if he’ll report or elect free agency.”
“The 35-year-old Díaz picked up seven starts among his 10 games during his five weeks on the MLB roster. He popped a couple home runs and doubles apiece in 23 plate appearances. Díaz has been a below-average hitter throughout his career and hadn’t hit much in a tiny sample with Omaha before his call-up. He batted .204/.270/.337 across 283 plate appearances for the Padres a year ago.”
There have been no follow-up reports on Eliaz Diaz, but it’s important to note that just because Diaz is in the minors doesn’t mean they can’t make a move for him in one way or another.
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Elias Diaz’s MLB Career
GettyOAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – MAY 22: Elias Díaz #35 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the Oakland Athletics in the to of the first inning on May 22, 2024 at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
The biggest reason the Yankees should keep an eye out for Elias Diaz is that he’s a right-handed-hitting catcher, which is exactly what the Yankees need.
Elias Diaz is a 12-year MLB veteran. He debuted with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015, and spent five seasons with them and the Colorado Rockies before joining the San Diego Padres last season, and then the Royals this year.
Diaz was named an MLB All-Star in 2023 and actually won the All-Star game MVP after hitting a clutch go-ahead home run for the NL squad. In that season, Diaz hit .267 with 14 home runs over 141 games. That’s the most games he’s played in a season in his MLB career.
The Yankees don’t need to break the bank with a guy like Diaz, even if they were to trade for him, and he doesn’t need to get any more than 100 at-bats in a season, but what the Yankees desperately need is some balance with their catchers, and to give Wells some days off against southpaws, which he’s already starting to get.
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