According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Giants have expressed interest in signing veteran catcher Elias Diaz. The news comes right after the team placed starting catcher Patrick Bailey on the injured list with a strained oblique. In Bailey’s absence, San Francisco will turn to Curt Casali and Jakson Reetz behind the plate. However, both offer little offensively and fit best in backup or organizational depth roles. With the Giants clinging to its postseason odds, signing Diaz and hip upside might be necessary to avoid falling out of the National League Wild Card race.
SF Giants Expressed Interest in Signing Catcher Elias Diaz
Diaz earned a spot on the 2023 National League All-Star roster thanks to a solid first half in Colorado. In 80 games, the veteran produced a .763 OPS with nine homers and 15 doubles. He even hit a homer in the All-Star game and earned MVP honors.
However, the Venezuelan slowed down in the second half, producing a .674 OPS in 61 games. Nonetheless, he managed to produce solid strikeouts and walk rates while quickly earning the starting job for the first time in his career. Despite the slow finish, many expected 2023 to serve as a building block for a late-career renaissance.
Diaz entered the season as the Colorado’s starting catcher. Unfortunately, injuries and offensive regression helped make 2024 a year to forget. In 84 games, the 33-year-old hit .270/.315/.378 (89 OPS+) with five homers and 18 doubles. With no teams interested in trading for him at the deadline, the Rockies decided to release him last week.
Elias Díaz, MVP of the All-Star Game only a year ago, has been waived by the #Rockies, according to @Ken_Rosenthal
Díaz hit 48 home runs and 212 RBI with Colorado over five seasons from 2020-24. He's the only catcher in franchise history ever selected to the Midsummer Classic.
— Patrick Lyons (@PatrickDLyons) August 15, 2024
While Bailey’s injury is a huge loss for San Francisco, Diaz’s availability might represent a bit of good luck. The Giants can’t make a meaningful addition via trade and don’t want to rely on Casali and Reetz. Despite his struggles, Diaz provides an offensive upside that the other two do not. By signing Diaz, the Giants would hope to catch lightning in the bottle until Bailey returns in September.
But for now, Diaz is free to sign with any team. It’s unknown what the veteran is looking for in a new team, but the Giants might be the only contending team that can offer solid playing time. That could be enticing for a player who has never made the postseason in his 10-year career.
Main Photo: © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
