It’s been a quiet offseason for the San Diego Padres and they have finally signed their first guaranteed free agent deal by reportedly re-signing catcher Elias Díaz to a one-year, $3.5 million deal with a mutual option for 2026. Díaz, 34, finished the 2024 season as a member of the Padres after signing a minor league pact upon his release by the Colorado Rockies. He didn’t contribute much in 24 plate appearances as he hit .190/.292/.429 in 24 plate appearances and was part of the Padres postseason roster but made just one plate appearance.

His career has ebbed and flowed as he started with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a once-promising catching prospect in 2015 but didn’t take on a more regular role until 2017. The following season in 2018 was a bit of a breakout year as he slashed .286/.339/.452 with 10 home runs in 82 games for the Pirates and seemed primed to play a big role for them. He played 101 games for the Pirates in 2019 but took a step back offensively, hitting just two home runs and batting .241/.296/.307. He was unable to capitalize on his increased playing time and also struggled defensively, being regarded as one of the worst pitch framers in baseball that season and had a staggering -21 Defensive Runs Saved. There was also the fact he deal with a bacterial infection in his stomach, causing him to miss all of Spring Training and the majority of April that season. Still, the performance on the field was enough for the Pirates to opt to non-tender him instead of paying the $1.4 million salary projected in arbitration.

Díaz signed a minor league deal with the Rockies a month later and made the big league roster for the pandemic-shortened season. He was expected to serve as the backup to Tony Wolters, but saw limited playing time behind Wolters and Drew Butera. He was able to impress enough on both sides of the ball that the Rockies gave him a $1.2 million big league contract for 2021 and slotted him in as the primary catcher. He hit .246 with 18 homers and 44 RBIs, and Colorado rewarded him with a $14.5 million, three-year extension. 2022 was another year in which his offense regressed batting .228 with nine homers and 51 RBIs but 2023 was a memorable season for Díaz. During the first half he hit .277 with nine homers and 45 RBIs, being named the Rockies All-Star Game representative, the first catcher in franchise history. He went on to hit a game-winning home run during the All-Star Game, earning MVP honors, another franchise-first.

He played in 141 games that season with 14 home runs and a .270 AVG. The Rockies made it a point to try to relieve him of that workload by signing his former catching partner Jacob Stallings. 2024 wasn’t an awful year for Díaz as he hit .265/.313/.382 with six home runs in 96 games between the Rockies and Padres. His season was hindered in Colorado by injuries to his legs that prevented the normally durable catcher from utilizing his power. He hit into 13 double plays and was noticeably hobbled on the basepaths. The Rockies had entertained the idea of trying to trade him but the offers just didn’t come the team’s liking and they eventually released him in August. For his career, he has hit .251/.304/.388 with 62 home runs and 297 RBI in 724 games for a 5.7 rWAR.

The Padres are hoping that Díaz can return back to a healthy and relatively productive state as he has shown in the past. The team needed catching after both Kyle Higoshioka Díaz became free agents after the season, leaving them with in-house option Luis Campusano as their only projected catcher. Díaz appears to likely serve as the backup to Campusano who is looking to rebound in his own right. He seemed to have a breakout season in 2023 when he hit .319/.356/.491, but his line dropped drastically last year, finishing at .227/.281/.361 and also earning poor grades on his defensive metrics.

Despite his poor framing grades from advanced defensive metrics, pitchers have praised Díaz’s leadership and work behind the plate. He carries a solid career 27.2% caught-stealing rate behind the plate and game management. Should Campusano struggle and Díaz able to rebound once again, he could easily play himself into a larger role with the Padres. Should his offensive take off more regular he could also find more at-bats in the designated hitter spot, much like he did with the Rockies over the last two seasons when his bat was the most consistent in the lineup. A career 19.1% strikeout rate is below league average as is his 6.7% walk rate, meaning contact is a priority for Díaz and something that could benefit the Padres lineup composition.

With the turmoil behind the scenes concerning the ownership of the team for the Padres, it’s been a quiet offseason for the Friars. The team had been in the mix for Roki Sasaki before he inevitably signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Rumors have swirled that the team has been shopping pitchers Dylan Cease and Michael King in an effort to shrink payroll and replenish their prospect reserves, while also trying to figure out what to do at first base with Luis Arraez. The Padres still have the pieces to contend in 2025, but the window is shrinking and if Díaz is their only major transaction, more changes are on the horizon in San Diego.