"Diaz, 29, is a one-time All-Star and the younger brother of Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz. The younger Diaz was a 12th-round pick by the Reds back in 2015 who made his big league debut during the 2022 campaign. He made an immediate splash upon reaching the majors with a 1.89 ERA in 59 appearances, and made his lone All-Star appearance the following year after settling in as Cincinnati's closer."
"By the time the 2025 season rolled around, Diaz's uneven performance and shaky peripherals had gotten the better of him. The right-hander's strikeout rate dropped further to just 20.0% last year, while his walk rate reached a career-high 14.1%. He ended up bouncing between the Reds, Dodgers, and Braves throughout the 2025 season, but was shelled to the tune of an 8.15 ERA and an 8.51 FIP across 18 appearances in the majors."
"He wound up signing in Texas on a $1MM MLB guarantee. The decision to bring Diaz into the fold was a relatively low-risk one given the low cost of the deal, and the right-hander entered Spring Training competing for a spot in the Rangers bullpen with the upside of a potential set-up man or even closer if he managed to rediscover his early career form with the Reds."
Alexis Diaz, a 29-year-old former All-Star closer, was assigned outright to Triple-A by the Rangers following an unsuccessful Spring Training. Diaz signed a $1MM deal with Texas after being outrighted by the Braves and entering free agency. His career has declined significantly since his 2023 All-Star season with Cincinnati. In 2024, his strikeout rate dropped to 22.7%, and 2025 proved worse with a 20.0% strikeout rate and career-high 14.1% walk rate across 18 appearances with three teams, posting an 8.15 ERA. The Rangers brought him in as a low-risk option hoping he could reclaim closer or setup potential, but Spring Training performance did not meet expectations.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]