LEWIN DIAZ, FIRST BASEMAN
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Born: November 19, 1996 Height: 6’4″ Weight: 217 Bats: Left Throws: Left Signed: Int’l Free Agent, 2013, Minnesota Twins How Acquired: Waiver Claim (from Marlins) Country: Dominican Republic Agent: CAA Sports |
WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE |
Diaz was a prominent signing for Minnesota. He’s always been regarded as having significant raw power, but it hasn’t consistently shown up in games, especially in the majors. He made slow progress through the minors and his plate discipline, in particular, has been weak since he got to full season ball. He’s struggled against LHPs sometimes, but not always. The defensive metrics see him as an outstanding defender at first. He doesn’t run well. The Pirates obtained Diaz on a waiver claim.
2014 Diaz had a good debut season, hitting for power and walking more than he struck out. Baseball America ranked him 18th in the Twins’ system after the season. 2015 The Twins moved Diaz up to the GCL, where he had more trouble with plate discipline and didn’t show much power. He got on a 12-for-23 run in August, though, which brought a promotion to advanced rookie ball. He struggled to make contact there. BA dropped him to 21st in the system. 2016 The Twins kept Diaz in advanced rookie ball for the season and he had a much better year, albeit with a weak BB:K ratio. BA ranked him 26th in the system. 2017 Finally in full season ball, Diaz had a good, but not a breakout, year. BA again ranked him 26th. 2018 In the pitching-dominated Florida State League, Diaz had a very rough time. He hit for a little power, but showed no patience at all. BA dropped him off Minnesota’s top prospects list. 2019 The Twins sent Diaz back to the FSL and he had a far better season, partly as a result of getting in better shape. He continued hitting well after moving up to AA, although at both levels he didn’t show much patience. At the trade deadline, the Twins sent him to Miami. He didn’t hit as well after the trade, but BA ranked him 7th in the Marlins’ system. Miami added him to its 40-man roster after the season. 2020 Diaz played briefly in the majors during the pandemic season. 2021 Diaz opened the season in AAA, but bounced back and forth between there and the majors all year. He hit for good power at both levels, but had poor walk and strikeout rates in the majors. 2022 Diaz spent most of the season in AAA until late July, when he joined the Marlins for good. He hit about the same in AAA as the previous season, but struggled badly in the majors as his K rate increased sharply. Miami designated him for assignment after the season. Like nearly all of Ben Cherington’s personnel moves, this one appeared to be simply pointless, random shuffling of low-upside players rather than an attempt to improve the team. As a left-handed hitter, Diaz failed to address the Pirates’ need for a right-handed hitter to complement Ji-Man Choi. It was especially puzzling that they would claim Diaz after declining to put the right-handed hitting Malcom Nunez on the 40-man roster. The claim quickly became moot, though, as the Pirates designated Diaz for assignment after they signed Carlos Santana. |
CONTRACT INFORMATION
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2023: Major League Minimum |
PLAYER INFORMATION
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Signing Bonus: $1,400,000 MiLB Debut: 2014 MLB Debut: 8/15/2020 MiLB FA Eligible: N/A MLB FA Eligible: 2028 Rule 5 Eligible: N/A Added to 40-Man: 11/20/2013 Options Remaining: 0 (USED: 2020, 2021, 2022) MLB Service Time: 1.004 |
TRANSACTIONS
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July 2, 2013: Signed by the Minnesota Twins as an international free agent. July 27, 2019: Traded by the Minnesota Twins to the Miami Marlins for Sergio Romo and Chris Vallimont. November 20, 2019: Contract purchased by the Miami Marlins. November 15, 2022: Designated for assignment by the Miami Marlins. November 22, 2022: Claimed off waivers from the Miami Marlins by the Pittsburgh Pirates. November 30, 2022: Designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates. |