On December 13th, many were shocked to hear that the Tampa Bay Rays had dealt one of their top prospects to Cleveland and sent millions to Seattle in exchange for a 27-year-old infielder with nowhere to play and an inability to get the ball in the air.
The top prospect was Jake Bauers, the millions totaled five, and the 27-year-old infielder was Yandy Diaz. Now, only a handful of months later, the Rays’ front office is smiling. Bauers has struggled in Cleveland while Diaz has become a fixture in the heart of the Rays order.
The Rays bet on Diaz’s ability to hit the ball harder than most and his consistency at every level, including Cleveland.