Matt Johnson
The Boston Red Sox have been heavily linked in MLB trade rumors this summer to a variety of starting pitchers on the market. Now, in the weeks following the Rafael Devers trade, it appears Boston also wants to land one of its division rivals’ top hitters.
Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports that the Red Sox are very high on Tampa Bay Rays slugger Yandy Díaz and have him on their wishlist if he becomes available at the MLB trade deadline.
“If the Rays do what they always do, and trade players getting close to free agency, someone like Yandy Díaz could be available. If he is, sources indicate, he’d be high on the wish list of some Red Sox decision-makers.”
MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo on the Boston Red Sox interest in Yandy Diaz
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- Yandy Diaz stats (ESPN): .285/.339/.454, .793 OPS, 14 home runs, 53 RBI in 368 ABs
Díaz, who turns 34 in August, earned his first All-Star selection in 2023 and won the Silver Slugger Award along with the AL batting title. The right-handed hitter ended that season with a .932 OPS and a .330 batting average. While he failed to replicate those numbers in 2024 (.281 batting average and .755 OPS), he has produced much closer to that line as of late.
In his last 40 games before the All-Star break, Díaz posted a .352/.412/.543 triple-slash line with 24 RBIs, 24 runs scored, and a .955 OPS across 162 at-bats. Importantly for Boston, he has played 242 games at first base over the last three seasons.
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- Yandy Diaz contract (Spotrac): $10 million salary (2025), $12 million salary (2026), $10 million conditional club option (2027)
The question is whether Tampa Bay would be willing to move him. As of today’s games, the Rays sit just 1.5 games back of the final wild card spot in the American League. Furthermore, Tampa Bay exercised its club option on Díaz for 2026 in March and added a vesting option for the 2027 season.
Tampa Bay has demonstrated a willingness to trade players within the division, so the front office might not be opposed to moving Díaz to the Red Sox. However, given how close the Rays are in the playoff hunt and Díaz’s team-friendly contract, it seems unlikely Boston will land one of the top players on its wishlist at the MLB trade deadline.
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