ELÍAS DÍAZ

Position(s): Catcher Age: 33 Bats / Throws: Right / Right Height / Weight: 6-foot-1 / 223 pounds How acquired: Signed a minor league deal with the Padres on Aug. 26 and finished the season on the big-league roster. 2024 salary: Made $6 million in 2024 in the final year of a three-year, $14 million extension signed after the 2021 season. Key 2024 stats: .265 avg., .313 OBP, .382 SLG, 6 HRs, 39 RBIs, 27 runs, 0 steals, 20 walks, 69 strikeouts (96 games, 351 plate appearances)

STAT TO NOTE

Minus-4 — Díaz’s run value against four-seam fastballs each of the last two years. He was an All-Star in 2023 despite a .278 weighted on-base average against four seamers that year and he was a bit better in 2024 (.317) despite not hitting any four-seamers for homers this year. He hit four homers off fastballs in 2023 and five in 2022, when a .404 wOBA off four-seamers added up to a plus-7 run value against the pitch.

TRENDING

Down — The MVP of the All-Star Game in 2023, Díaz played through injuries to both calves in a down offensive year that led the Rockies to place their starting catcher on outright waivers in August to make room for prospect Drew Romo. The team tried to trade Díaz at the deadline to no avail and granted him his release when no team was willing to pick up the some $1.45 million left on his deal. The timing allowed Díaz to sign with the Padres in time to be postseason eligible. He caught on quickly, too, ultimately supplanting Luis Campusano on the roster as the No. 2 catcher behind Kyle Higashioka. Díaz hit one of his six home runs in 12 games played with the Padres in the regular season (.190/.292/.429) and struck out in his only plate appearance in the postseason in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Dodgers. More importantly, Padres pitchers had a 3.00 ERA in 66 innings with Díaz behind the plate as the veteran remained a defensive asset. He finished 2024 in the 87th percentile in pop time (1.90) and the 77th percentile in caught stealing runs above average (2) and in framing runs (2). That added up to a plus-4 overall defensive run value in 2024, according to Statcast, after combining for minus-11 the previous two seasons.