MLB Mock Trade: Rays Upgrade Pitching Staff, Swap Yandy Diaz for Brady Singer

This MLB mock trade sends Yandy Díaz to Cincinnati for Brady Singer, giving the Reds a much-needed impact bat and the Rays another rotation arm for a 2026 playoff push.

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Brady Singer (51) throws against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at American Family Field. | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The MLB season is set to start next month, and we are less than two weeks away from the first pitch of spring training. Teams are still filling out their roster, and we expect to see plenty more signings and trades between now and opening day. One team that could be in the market to make a big move is the Cincinnati Reds. They have the pitching to acquire value and desperately need offensive upgrades. Starting right-handed pitcher Brady Singer is rumored to be on the trade block. They will be looking to add an impact bat that can help them score more runs this season as they look to make a deeper playoff run in 2026. 

Tampa Bay Rays - Cincinnati Reds Mock Trade

Tampa Bay Rays Receive

RHP - Brady Singer

Cincinnati Reds Receive

1B - Yandy Diaz

Fantasy Baseball Impact

Both Singer and Diaz should maintain their fantasy value in their new homes, if not improve. Cincinnati is a great hitters' ballpark, which should help Diaz further improve his already impressive power numbers. Last season, he batted .300 with 25 home runs and 83 RBIs. The career .290 hitter may be getting older at 34 years old, but he's coming off a career year and would be moving into a potentially better situation. 

Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Yandy Diaz (2) hits a home run during the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at George M. Steinbrenner Field. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Getting out of Great American Ball Park can only help a starting pitcher. Singer would step in immediately as a middle-of-the-rotation starter, and we have seen no reason to believe he will show any decline this season at 29 years old. With a move to Tampa Bay, he should be viewed as a top 30 starting pitcher in fantasy baseball. We'd expect to see him with a sub-4.00 ERA while maintaining his strikeout rate. 

Senior Expert Shawn Childs had this to say about Diaz heading into the 2026 fantasy baseball season:

Diaz proved to be a winning value player in 2025. He set a career high in home runs (25) and RBIs (83) while having 75.8% of his at-bats in the first two slots in the batting order. His FPGscore (2.75) ranked him 44th for hitters last season. With repeated success, there are four to five rounds of value already baked into his price point, depending on league size.
His RBI rate (17.3%) has been a plus asset for three consecutive years, suggesting a move to the middle of the Rays' starting lineup. Diaz comes off a career-high average hit rate (1.606), but he continues to be a high-volume groundball hitter (53.6%), with no change in his launch angle (5.0). His exit velocity (93.0) and hard-hit rate (52.4% remains attractive parts of his profile. Diaz barreled 41 balls (8.3%) last year while matching his career high in HR/FB rate (18.2). Over the past four seasons, his flyball rate (27.6%) has decreased.
He no longer has a plus walk rate (8.8% - 14.0% in 2022). Diaz posted a three-year low in his strikeout rate (14.1%). His swing was an edge against left-handed pitching (.285/31/11/21 over 158 at-bats with 19 walks and 16 strikeouts). The change in the Rays' home park in 2025 led to his best success (.307/47/18/45/1 over 300 at-bats (seven home runs on the road over 283 at-bats).
Fantasy Outlook: Diaz will be a free agent in 2027 if he doesn’t have 500 plate appearances, and he has been an excellent low-priced player for Tampa over the past three seasons ($24 million from 2023 to 2025 – $12 million this year). Diaz will turn 35 in August, and he has transitioned into almost a full-time DH (114 games in 2025) for Tampa.
Without more pulled balls (28.0% in 2025 and 30.4%) or more loft, he can’t reach a more explosive ceiling in power. Think steady piece to the puzzle (.290/80/20/75 with minimal speed), with a chance to bump his RBI stats with a slide down the batting order.

Shawn Childs

Why The Trade Makes Sense For The Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays need another starter if they are going to compete in a brutal AL East. They can spare a hitter like Diaz, who is older and coming off a career year. It makes sense for them to sell high as he enters the final year of his contract. One more strong starting pitcher could be enough to put Tampa Bay over the top as a legitimate contender in the division. 

Why The Trade Makes Sense For The Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati needs offensive help and can afford to move Singer to get it. Singer will also cost $12.75 million this season, and unloading him could give them a bit more financial flexibility for a team on a budget. This is a win-win trade for both teams.