Walt Jocketty and the Cardinals are currently mulling over various options to add an outfield bat, and one player who is definitely on the radar is Victor Diaz.
The 24 year-old Diaz had a fine year in 2005 between Triple A and the Majors. However, after losing the Mets’ right field battle to Xavier Nady this year Diaz has become the odd man out. He’s stumbled to a .245/.310/.371 line in Triple A and his stock is at an all-time low. Still, Diaz has shown 25 HR power and was projected to hit .265/.323/.469 for the Mets by Baseball Prospectus’s PECOTA system.
New York doesn’t have much use for Diaz, and one player they like is 24 year-old righthander Mark Worrell in the Cardinals’ system. Worrell uses an unorthodox, sometimes sidearm delivery to retire hitters. He did a fine job as a closer in A ball last year, but the jump to Double A hasn’t been so kind. Worrell has 15 saves and a 1.28 WHIP, but he also owns a 5.27 ERA. Walks and home runs have been a problem.
It’s a swap that makes sense – a couple of minor leaguers who have not met expectations this year. My Mets source tells me that discussions are ongoing.
