The MLB trade deadline isn't until July 30th, but the landscape of buyers and sellers is taking shape. If the Colorado Rockies were to make trades, it would likely come in the form of he latter. They are 22-40, 16 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
The Rockies would be better served dishing off their better players for picks or prospects. One of those players would be catcher Elias Diaz, who Colorado could trade to a team like the Chicago Cubs or San Diego Padres.
Diaz has been outstanding with his bat at a position where premier hitting is hard to come by. Diaz ranks fourth among catchers in batting average (.302) behind only William Contreras, Salvador Perez, and Adley Rutschman. He's also fourth at the position in on base percentage (.350), seventh in slugging (.444), and sixth in OPS (.794).
However, he's toiling on a team at the bottom of the league. Diaz can help a playoff contender or a team looking to fight its way in.
Cubs trade for Elias Diaz
The Cubs are simply not getting anything out of their catcher spot this season. Miguel Amaya entered this year with some promise and potential, but he's posted a slashing line of .194/.255/.274/.530 in 43 games played. Yan Gomes is also with the team, but his numbers have taken a drastic step backwards in 2024 compared to what he did in 2023.
With the Cubs in the thick of the playoff race, they are looking to make an upgrade at that position. The Cubs and Rockies have engaged in trade talks for Diaz, via Chicago radio host Dave Kaplan. It remains to be seen what the package for Diaz would include. It shouldn't cost the Cubs an exorbitant amount with Diaz on the last year of his contract.
The Cubs currently hold a Wild Card spot despite their 31-32 record and 5.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers. They can shrink that gap by giving their offense, which ranks 13th in runs scored, a shot in the arm. Trading for Diaz would be a great way to accomplish that.
Padres make big splash for Diaz
The San Diego Padres are in a similar spot as the Cubs. They occupy the final NL Wild Card spot despite a 32-34 record. San Diego has gotten this far on the heels of their offense as the the team ranks first in MLB in batting average (.259). They also rank fifth in the league in on-base percentage (.324) and 10th in both OPS (.713) and runs scored (284).
The Padres have done this despite little production from their catcher spot. Like Amaya with Chicago, Luis Campusano hasn't quite lived up to his status as a prospect. He has posted a slashing line of .222/.275/.344/.619 through 56 games. Backup Kyle Higashioka's hitting numbers are even worse.
If Campusano isn't going to pick up his play, then the Padres are going to have to look elsewhere at that position. Elias Diaz would be the perfect player to get back to make San Diego's offense even more potent. The Rockies may have some reservations about trading within their division, but if the package is right, they shouldn't hesitate. A trade could help both sides in this circumstance.
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