Colorado Rockies Reportedly Place All-Star Catcher Elías Díaz on Waivers

Elías Díaz, the MVP of the 2023 MLB All-Star Game, has reportedly been placed on outright waivers by the Colorado Rockies following five seasons in Denver.

Aug 9, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Elias Diaz (35) hits an RBI double in the fourth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Coors Field. / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Rockies have placed catcher Elías Díaz on outright waivers, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Wednesday night.

The surprise move comes just 13 months removed from the lone All-Star appearance of Díaz's career. The veteran backstop was not only the first Rockies catcher ever to appear in the Midsummer Classic, but he also took home All-Star Game MVP honors thanks to his go-ahead, two-run home run.

Díaz finished 2023 with a .267 batting average, 14 home runs, 72 RBI, .745 OPS and a 1.4 WAR in 141 appearances. This season, he is batting .270 with five home runs, 36 RBI, a .693 OPS and a 1.2 WAR through 84 games.

Across the 55 games he appeared in before suffering a calf strain, Díaz was batting .303 with five home runs, 28 RBI, a .791 OPS and a 1.5 WAR. In his 29 games since returning from the injured list on June 30, Díaz was batting just .208 with zero homers, eight RBI, a .507 OPS and a -0.3 WAR.

The 33-year-old was in the final season of a three-year, $14.5 million contract extension he inked with Colorado in November 2021. Díaz was set to become a free agent this coming offseason, but by placing him on outright waivers, the Rockies could potentially shed his remaining $1.5 million from their books.

The Chicago Cubs were reportedly interested in adding Díaz back in June, but no deal ever came together. Colorado was unable to find any buyer before the MLB Trade Deadline on July 30, which ultimately led the front office to dump him in another fashion.

Now, any interested clubs would simply have to place a waiver claim and commit to paying the rest of Díaz's salary. If no one does that by Friday afternoon, he can either accept a minor league assignment from the Rockies or enter free agency and seek a new deal.

To become eligible to make a team's playoff roster, Díaz would have to join a new club by Aug. 31. Colorado wasn't coming anywhere near the postseason, with or without Díaz, considering they sit in dead last in the entire NL at 44-78.

Díaz spent five seasons with the Rockies, following a five-year stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He is a career .252 hitter with 61 home runs, 294 RBI, a .691 OPS and a 5.6 WAR.

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