The San Diego Padres are bolstering their catching position with a new addition Elias Diaz.
Baseball journalist Rafael Petit reported on Monday that the Padres are signing catcher Elias Diaz to a minor-league contract, as confirmed by Daniel Alvarez-Montes of EI Extrabase.
Diaz, 33, was an All-Star last season with the Colorado Rockies, where he hit .267 with a .725 OPS and earned All-Star Game MVP honors with a decisive home run for the NL in the eighth inning. Although his power numbers have dipped slightly this season, his batting average has improved to .270.
The Rockies, currently at 48-83, released Diaz earlier this month to promote 22-year-old prospect Drew Romo. Despite this, Diaz still possesses some power and could potentially be an upgrade for the Padres, who have struggled with .230 hitters Kyle Higashioka and Luis Campusano at catcher. With the Padres holding the second NL Wild Card spot at 75-58, this move reflects their ongoing efforts to strengthen their roster following a busy trade deadline.
