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Probable Asking Price For Tampa Bay Rays Slugger Yandy Diaz Revealed By Reporter

As the MLB Winter Meetings get set to start on Dec. 9, Yandy Diaz will be a popular name.

Brady Farkas

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (2) hits an rbi double against the Minnesota Twins in the seventh inning at Tropicana Field on Sept 5.
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (2) hits an rbi double against the Minnesota Twins in the seventh inning at Tropicana Field on Sept 5. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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The entire baseball world is in a holding pattern as it waits for superstar free agent Juan Soto to sign this offseason. However, once he does, the dam will break and several other big names will be able to figure out their next moves.

Soto's decision should also unlock the trade market as team's that miss out on him will likely turn their attention to other places.

One name that should attract significant attenion is Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz. The 33-year-old native of Cuba is headed into the final guaranteed year of his contract and comes with a team option for 2026. He's due only $10 million this season, so he's certainly affordable for most teams.

Diaz is coming off a season in which he hit .281 with 14 homers and 65 RBI. He played in 145 games, which shows how durable he is. He's played 134 games or more in full season since the pandemic-shortened season of 2020.

As the Rays look to turn around a fourth-place finish in 2025, they certainly could keep Diaz around. However, if they elect to move him, they should be able to find useful pieces as well.

Cuban Baseball Insider Francys Romero recently posted on social media what the asking price for Diaz could be in a deal:

Yandy Díaz will be one of the interesting names at the Winter Meetings.

He will be on the negotiation table for several MLB teams.

The Rays might be asking for two prospects and an MLB player, per sources.

That's certainly a high price but for a team that is one bat short in its lineup, getting Diaz could go a long way. We know that teams asked about Diaz at the trade deadline, but the Rays held onto him.

The Winter Meetings begin on Dec. 9.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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