Yandy Díaz DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

According to Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated, the New York Mets have checked in on first baseman Yandy Diaz. Sources have reported that the Mets have shown interest in Diaz earlier this offseason, but the Rays were unwilling to part with the first baseman. However, given this recent report, the Rays may be open to a trade discussion, especially after they added another infielder, Ha-Seong Kim, earlier this week. The Mets have also contacted other teams looking for a first baseman, including the Detroit Tigers for Spencer Torkelson and the Baltimore Orioles for Ryan Mountcastle. The Mets remain in discussions with Pete Alonso but have begun to have preliminary discussions for an alternative option. Last season, Diaz posted a .281/.341/.414 line with 14 home runs.

According to Andy Martino of SNY, the Tampa Bay Rays are not expected to trade first baseman Yandy Diaz. According to Martino, the Rays plan to hold onto Diaz for the time being as he is one of the top options for offensive production. The 33-year-old enjoyed another strong season in 2024 as he posted a .281/.341/.414 line with 14 home runs and 31 doubles. He showed a great eye at the plate with a 15.3% K rate and a 14.2% whiff rate, which were among the top marks in the sport. He also generated a strong 48.7% hard-hit rate, suggesting his power production could see some positive regression in 2025. This was a slight drop in production compared to the stellar .330/.410/.522 line he posted in 2023. Fantasy managers should expect Diaz to have a consistent spot in the Rays lineup, and he is an excellent target for points leagues, given his elite contact and low strikeout rate.

Tampa Bay Rays infielders Yandy Diaz and Jose Caballero and outfielder Jonny DeLuca are all out of the lineup for Thursday's series finale against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Diaz is on the bench for the third time in the last four days, but it doesn't appear he's dealing with any sort of injury. The 33-year-old hasn't been as good as he was last year when he won the American League batting title with a .330 average, but he's still been one of Tampa's best hitters with a .282/.342/.417 slash line with 14 homers and 65 RBI in 143 games played. Jonathan Aranda is playing first and batting cleanup, with Taylor Walls at short and batting ninth, and Jose Siri in center and in the seven-hole against Tigers right-hander Reese Olson. Aranda recently homered in three straight games and has become a regular down the stretch, hitting .262 (16-for-61) with five homers and nine RBI in 20 games in September.

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz appears to be getting a normal day of rest on Wednesday versus the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Jonathan Aranda will take over at first base and will hit sixth against Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler. Unless he's dealing with an injury we don't know about yet, Diaz should return on Thursday for the start of a new series against the Cleveland Guardians. He's been hot so far in September, going 11-for-32 (.344) with two home runs, a double, and six RBI in eight games played. Aranda has only received 73 at-bats in the big leagues with Tampa in 2024 and hasn't done much at the plate, slashing .205/.284/.315 with only one homer, five RBI and 13 runs scored. In a tough matchup against Wheeler on the road, Aranda is a low-upside sleeper pick for DFS lineups on Wednesday.

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz (knee) is rejoining the starting nine on Sunday afternoon. Diaz left Friday's game early with a knee injury and sat out on Saturday as well. However, this injury was not serious as the 33-year-old will serve as the designated hitter and bat in his typical leadoff spot. Diaz enjoyed a nice August, posting an excellent .297/.353/.451 slash line with five doubles, three home runs, and an 8:16 BB:K ratio. Through the summer, Diaz sits with a strong .276/.331/.406 line with 12 long balls. Under the hood, he has held an excellent 13.7% whiff rate, which shows in his 15.2% K rate, which is one of the best marks in the sport. Diaz has a difficult matchup this afternoon against San Diego right-hander Dylan Cease, and is best to leave off of your DFS lineups.