Cincy missed their window. Alexis Díaz, a former Cincinnati Reds closer, was transferred to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for an unspecified player. Cincinnati received only a former 13th-round draft pick in exchange for Díaz’s poor performance in both the big and minor leagues this season.
Though many Reds supporters are disappointed with the little return Cincinnati received in exchange for the former All-Star, the truth is that they were fortunate to acquire anything at all. The Reds overlooked Díaz’s declining performance since the Midsummer Classic in 2023, leaving them with Mike Villani.
Díaz appeared out of nowhere in 2022. He, along with former Reds reliever Daniel Duarte, were two surprise additions to the Opening Day roster. Duarte endured an injury-plagued first season in 2022, but Díaz excelled and eventually took over the closer’s role from Hunter Strickland.
The Reds overpaid for Alexis Díaz after selling short on him.
From his MLB debut on April 8, 2022 to the All-Star break in 2023, Díaz pitched 103 ⅔ innings, striking out 144 and walking only 52. His 1.91 ERA was exceptional. Díaz’s strikeout percentage of 34.4% compensated for his 12.4% walk rate. His fastball frequently reached 95 mph, and he converted 87.8% (36 of 41) of his save attempts.
But since then, Díaz has been a shell of himself. The right-hander’s ERA has risen to 4.72 in the 96 games since the 2023 All-Star Game. His strikeout percentage fell to 20.9%, and his walk rate increased to 13.3%. Díaz made 39 out of 45 saves (86.7%), although his velocity dropped significantly. The reliever’s fastball dropped velocity, dropping from an average of 95.5 mph to 93.9. Díaz’s quick downturn was due to a lack of command, control, and velocity.
In 2022 and 2023, Díaz was the subject of numerous trade speculations. The New York Mets were frequently linked to Díaz due to his brother’s role as the team’s closer. Looking back, Cincinnati could have landed a quality bat like Brett Baty or Mark Vientos in exchange for Díaz, but now the Reds are left with a lottery ticket in the form of Villani. On the plus side, Díaz himself was once a late-round draft pick, so perhaps the Reds’ newest addition can find similar success as he moves up through the farm system. However, if not, Nick Krall and the Reds front office will be left to wonder what could’ve been.
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