The 2024 MLB offseason is just beginning, but once the wheels are set in motion, don’t be surprised if the Tampa Bay Rays trade Yandy Diaz.
Jon Morosi talked about where the first base trade candidate could end up in an appearance on MLB Network on Tuesday, and he suggested that Diaz will have his fair share of suitors.
“I could see Yandy Diaz being dealt this offseason,” he said, adding that Diaz has one skill that most teams covet. “That standout skill is the bat to ball.”
Diaz struck out in only 15.3% of his at bats in 2024, which is on par with his career average (15%). For context, the league average in 2023 was 22.7%. Juan Soto, the top free agent on the market, carried a 16.7% strikeout rate in 2024, while likely AL MVP Aaron Judge struck out in 24.3% of his at bats.
Morosi added that the Los Angeles Dodgers were able to continuously put the ball in play in the World Series, which they won in five games over Soto and Judge’s New York Yankees.
“We always talk about the separator being the guys that put the ball in play in a big spot and can move the line,” Morosi said.
Rays 1B Yandy Diaz predicted to play for a contender in 2025
Morosi was confident that teams would want to pursue Diaz in a trade once the first base market takes shape. He called out the Seattle Mariners, who struggled to find production at first base and overall struggled offensively, as a candidate. He described them as a team that “swung and missed so much this year.”
“We’re talking so much about Soto right now — and we should, by the way — but whenever he makes that decision, the knock-down affects of that will be ‘OK does Yandy Diaz in a trade become an option for the Yankees if they can’t get Christian Walker? Where does Pete Alonso go?” Morosi said. “It’s probably going to take some time for Yandy Diaz to find where his home is going to be for ’25 on the trade market.”
In terms of salary, Diaz is affordable for what he provides. Set to make $10 million next year with a $12 million 2026 team option, the first baseman hit .281 with 14 home runs and a .755 OPS in 2024. In 2023, he won the American League batting title, hitting .330 with a .932 OPS.
Morosi expects Soto to sign first, then Alonso and Walker to determine their futures. After that, Diaz will appear to be an affordable trade option.
“He’s going to be, I think, having a very impactful 2025 on a contending team,” he said.
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