Recent free agent signings leaves a depleted market for catcher-needy teams

The signings of Kyle Higashioka, Danny Jansen, and Travis d'Arnaud have left the catcher market dry.

Danny Jansen signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays
Danny Jansen signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays | Mark Blinch/GettyImages
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Elias Diaz

Elias Diaz after his trade to the San Diego Padres
Elias Diaz after his trade to the San Diego Padres | Orlando Ramirez/GettyImages

Elias Diaz spent the last five seasons with the Colorado Rockies before being traded to the San Diego Padres at the 2024 trade deadline. He offers a consistent bat in the lineup, especially for a catcher, having a career on-base percentage over .300.

That is about all he offers on offense, as he does not possess much power, which is even worse when considering he has been at the high altitude of Coors Field for five seasons. This past season, he only hit 6 HRs and had 36 RBIs over 325 at-bats combined between the Rockies and Padres, although he really struggled with San Diego, hitting only .190.

Behind the plate, Diaz had a 1.90 second pop time in 2024, which is key to keeping runners from stealing. Pop time is the amount of time from when the ball hits the catcher's mitt to when the infielder receives the throw. He was efficient in preventing steals because of it, throwing out 18 of 47 baserunners on attempted steals (38.3%).

Teams considering Diaz will have to determine if his struggles in San Diego are indicative of a player who took advantage of Coors Field's high altitude to produce solid offensive numbers, or if he just struggled with a mid-season transition to a new team in the thick of the playoff hunt.

Regardless, Diaz has experience behind the plate and a well-rounded profile that any team could use.