If one position in baseball could be described as a yearly rollercoaster it would most certainly have to be that of relievers. There's a big reason why less than 10 primary relievers are in MLB's Hall of Fame. It's very hard for relief guys to be excellent year in and year out. One season you could be amongst the best bullpen arms in the game, and the next you could find yourself in the minor leagues.
That happens to be the case for talented Reds 2023 All-Star closer, Alexis Diaz. However, despite his recent demotion, Diaz could be the perfect buy low trade candidate for Alex Anthopoulos to pick up the phone on.
Alexis Diaz is a low risk high reward trade if the price is right
It's no secret the Braves are depending on a bunch of fresh faces down in the bullpen at the moment. On top of that, normally trustworthy veterans like Raisel Iglesias have really struggled to begin 2025. The loss of Joe Jimenez has been evident as the Braves have struggled to find dependable right-handed relievers this season.
Given Cincinnati just demoted Diaz, they may be motivated to part ways altogether. Should that be the case, Anthopoulos should try and swoop in for a low cost deal. Diaz certainly earned his demotion, with a terrible start to his 2025 season. In six innings of work Diaz has a 12.00 ERA, 14.22 FIP, and -0.5 bWAR.
He has some really troubling trends as well, mainly his declining strikeout rate and fastball velocity. Diaz is a two-pitch pitcher, so in order for his slider to be as effective as it was in 2023, he needs his fastball to better than it has been. Last season hitters had a .275 xSLG against his fastball, but in the small sample size from this season, it's jumped to a .597 xSLG.
Just a couple seasons ago, Diaz one of the best relievers in the game. Much like his brother Edwin, his power fastball and slider combo helped him carry a strikeout rate in the 90th percentile. The stuff was some of the best in baseball and although Diaz's velocity has dipped a bit, it's hard to imagine some of that still isn't in there somewhere.
Diaz's season was derailed early when he suffered a hamstring injury just before Opening Day. It's very plausible that he was slowly working his way into form before the poor results forced his hand and he began pressing. Anthopoulos would have to be stingy in who he would part with, but if the price is right (and only if the price is right) Diaz could be the perfect bounce back candidate.