The San Diego Padres are getting a bit stronger behind the plate.
Baseball journalist Rafael Petit reported on Monday that the San Diego Padres are signing catcher Elias Diaz. They are giving a minor league deal to the righty-hitting Diaz, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of EI Extrabase adds.
Diaz, 33, was an All-Star last season with the Colorado Rockies. He hit .267 with a .725 OPS and was even named All-Star Game MVP after hitting a go-ahead home run for the NL during the eighth inning. This season, Diaz has improved his batting average to .270, but has seen his power numbers take a slight dip.
The 48-83 Rockies decided to release Diaz earlier this month in favor of promoting 22-year-old catcher prospect Drew Romo. Diaz still has a little pop in his bat, though, and may eventually be an upgrade for San Diego over .230 hitters Kyle Higashioka and Luis Campusano at the catcher position. The Padres currently occupy the second NL wild-card spot at 75-58 and continue to add pieces after their busy trade deadline of pickups.
