Report: Padres ink deal with catcher Elias Diaz

Sep 21, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres catcher Elias Diaz (15) tosses his bat after hitting a two-run home run against the Chicago White Sox during the eighth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

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Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

Elias Diaz ended the 2024 season with the San Diego Padres. Now, it appears he will join the team in 2025 and perhaps beyond.

The 2025 Padres do not appear to be a finished product. In fact, they are far from it. Signing one-time All-Star catcher Elias Diaz does not fix all of their issues. However, it is a sign that the team may be awakening from its winter-long slumber.

Up to this point, the Padres had Luis Campusano and Martin Maldonado to compete for innings at catcher this season. Those two combined for -2.0 bWAR in 2024. Things were looking bleak at the backstop position in the depth chart in San Diego. Still, Diaz hasn’t exactly continued on his All-Star trajectory. In 2023, he batted .277 in the first half, on his way to an All-Star selection. In the actual Midsummer Classic game, he became All-Star MVP.

His second half of 2023 and all of 2024 suggests that hot stretch might have been a flash in the pan.

Still, Diaz brings more stability to catcher. While Campusano and Maldonado combined for negative WAR last season, Diaz posted 1.3 WAR. The 34-year-old is still proficient on defense behind the plate, with an 87th percentile pop time and 77th percentile in framing.

At the plate, while he isn’t Mike Piazza, he showed he can be league average at times. That is far better than what any other current Padres catcher can say. Since 2021, he has a .253 batting average and .712 OPS.

For comparison, Campusano hit .227 last season with a .642 OPS while Maldonado checked in at a putrid .119/.403 clip.

The interesting part of the report is that it could end up being a two-year deal if both sides opt in after 2025. That means the Padres view him as much more than just a bandage until Campusano gets a few at bats in April under his belt. If Diaz performs well, he could very well be the Padres’ catcher in 2026 as well.

Certainly, this isn’t a huge splash move the Padres fans are desperately craving. However, it’s a sign of life from Padres brass.

His $3.5 million salary puts the Padres at just over $245 million. That is slightly over the first tax threshold ($241 million). It will be interesting to see if the Padres make a move to counter Diaz’s salary or if they are prepared to stay above the first tax threshold.

 

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