Rays Slugger Seen as Potential Fit for Diamondbacks This Offseason

Which slugger from the Tampa Bay Rays could help the Arizona Diamondbacks?

Apr 4, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A detailed view of an Arizona Diamondbacks hat at the game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park. | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

As the offseason continues to roll on for the Tampa Bay Rays following the conclusion of the winter meetings, the team will be planning what’s next. 

At the winter meetings, the Rays were a team mentioned frequently in rumors, with one of their top players being a popular name mentioned. All-Star slugger Brandon Lowe appears to be one of the top trade candidates this winter, and he would be a significant upgrade for a lot of teams.

However, Tampa Bay appears to be a team that is hoping to contend in 2026. If they were to move a player of the caliber of Lowe, it would certainly impact those chances. Furthermore, that hasn’t stopped the Rays in the past if it makes sense for the team long-term. 

While Lowe has had his name mentioned a lot, he isn't the only veteran on the team who makes sense as a trade candidate. Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan recently wrote about Rays slugger Yandy Diaz as a potential fit for the Arizona Diamondbacks in a trade this winter. 

Diaz Would Help Replace Offensive Production

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It was a brutal campaign for the Diamondbacks in 2025. Despite coming into the year after a strong offseason with some high expectations, injuries derailed the team. At the trade deadline, they wisely moved on from some veteran talent to recoup prospects, and they actually even made a little run at the end of the year for a Wild Card spot, surprisingly. 

This winter, the team does have some holes to fill on the roster, and they will be looking to replace some offensive production, more than likely. There are a ton of rumors surrounding Ketel Marte this offseason, but they also need to replace output from Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez. 

As an affordable option, Diaz could make a lot of sense for Arizona at either first base or designated hitter. The veteran slugger is coming off a fantastic campaign with Tampa Bay and is one of the best contact hitters in baseball. The National League West is going to run through the Los Angeles Dodgers until proven otherwise, but the Diamondbacks will be hoping to get back into playoff contention in 2026. 

Adding a veteran of the caliber of Diaz would help with that, but he isn’t a name that has been mentioned a ton this winter in rumors just yet for the Rays. However, he does fit the bill as a player that they could elect to move.