Just over a year ago, Colorado Rockies catcher Elias Díaz was the MVP of the All-Star Game. Now he is available to any team for the remaining roughly $1.5 million of his contract, plus the $50,000 waiver fee.
Díaz, 33, was placed on waivers Wednesday, according to major league sources briefed on the process. Any team wanting him must submit a request by 1 p.m. ET Friday.
Now that Díaz can be acquired without having to give up one or more young players in a trade, the question is whether he will generate more interest than he did at the July 30 deadline.
While some opposing officials believe the Rockies could have traded Díaz, sources familiar with the team’s talks say no club has expressed serious interest in signing him.
Two catchers were traded before the deadline – Carson Kelly, who went from the Tigers to the Rangers, and Danny Jansen, who went from the Blue Jays to the Red Sox. But Díaz slumped in July after four months of hitting well.
Through June 30, Díaz had a batting average of .307 with an OPS of .800. In July, he hit a batting average of .183 with an OPS of .452. And in August, he wasn’t much better, hitting a batting average of .226 with an OPS of .540. He hit just five home runs, compared to 14 last season.
If Díaz makes it through the waivers list unclaimed, his five years of major league service time would give him the right to decline a move to the minor leagues should the Rockies attempt to sign him outright, at which point Díaz could become a free agent and forgo his remaining salary.
The current waiver process is different from the one before 2019, when teams could place players on revocable trade waivers. Under that system, a claimed player could be traded, sent to the claiming club for nothing, or withdrawn from waivers.
Outright waivers are irrevocable, meaning a player cannot be withdrawn. The Los Angeles Angels placed six players on outright waivers on August 29 of last year, just before the August 31 deadline to make postseason rosters. Five players were claimed.
-Patrick Mooney of The Athletic contributed to this story
