Diaz saw only minimal time with the Marlins last year at age 35. He did, however, put up a promising .341/.385/.459 triple-slash in his 91 Triple-A plate appearances for Miami. Surely, Diaz would have had to settle for a minor league deal and a depth assignment in the upper minors had he decided to play.

The 11-year MLB veteran was most productive in 2006, 2007, and 2009 for Atlanta. In each of those three seasons, he posted over 300 plate appearances, registered an OPS of .839 or better, and was worth at least 1.7 rWAR/1.9 fWAR. Diaz also spent time with the Rays, Royals, Pirates, and Marlins organizations, but will unquestionably be remembered as a ballplayer for his work with the Braves.

It was reported yesterday that this was a likely outcome for Green, who hit .321/.344/.500 with a home run in 34 plate appearances for the Fish. However, the 34-year-old has a lifetime batting line of just .237/.304/.351. In parts of eight Major League seasons, the journeyman has seen time with the Rays, Dodgers, Marlins, Mariners, Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Braves.

Defensively, Green has graded out as an above average shortstop and an average second baseman, according to UZR and The Fielding Bible. Neither is a fan of his limited body of work at third base (242 innings).

Diaz, 35, hit .222/.280/.333 in 51 games for the Braves last season, but owns a much more respectable .770 career OPS. He's tattooed left-handed pitching throughout his 10-year career, knocking them around to the tune of a .324/.364/.498 line. Though he's primarily played left field throughout his career, he does have extensive experience in right field as well.

• Reds GM Walt Jocketty expects a decision in the next few days on whether Aroldis Chapman will pitch out of the bullpen or be moved into the starting rotatation, reports MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. Chapman stated publicly he wants to close, which didn't sit well with Jocketty. "We don’t let every player tell us how they want to be used," the GM told MLB.com.
• Ian Stewart's lingering left quad injury could affect his chances at making the roster and how the Cubs build their bench, writes MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. Brent Lillibridge, Luis Valbuena, Edwin Maysonet, and Alberto Gonzalez are competing to fill that void while manager Dale Sveum mentioned Steve Clevenger could be an interesting option and added the team is watching all the waiver wires. 
• The Rockies are giving serious consideration to making Nolan Arenado their starting third baseman with one club official telling Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com "it’s a tough call." If Arenado receives the nod, Rosenthal believes incumbent third baseman Chris Nelson could be used to acquire a veteran starting pitcher.
• Within the same piece, sources tell Rosenthal the Rockies want to move Ramon Hernandez and are willing to assume some of his $3.2MM salary to facilitate a trade.
• Don't expect the Braves to have any interest in the recently released Matt Diaz because there isn't a need right now, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• The Marlins have returned Rule 5 selection Braulio Lara to the Rays, reports Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post. The left-hander appeared in four games for the Marlins this spring throwing four innings allowing two earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks.

The Bombers signed Diaz to a minor league deal back in December that would have paid $1.2MM plus incentives if he made the big league roster.  The Reynolds Sports Management client boasts a career .324/.364/.498 slash line against lefties.  Last season with the Braves he posted a .222/.280/.333 batting line in 51 big league games.

• The Yankees will not let the way Alex Rodriguez's ten-year, $275MM contract has panned out affect their negotiations with Robinson Cano, GM Brian Cashman told ESPN Radio's Ian O'Connor (transcript courtesy of ESPNNewYork.com). "There's only so much you can spend, but we'll look at Robbie as an individual, not as it relates to whatever we're doing with Alex Rodriguez and our commitment and the regression we have experienced with Alex," said Cashman.
• The Yankees announced Curtis Granderson will miss the next ten weeks with a fractured right forearm after being hit with a pitch during today's Spring Training game. Non-roster invitees Matt Diaz and Juan Rivera plus minor leaguers Melky Mesa and Zoilo Almonte are the in-house candidates to replace the Yankees' leading home run hitter from a year ago, tweets the YES Network's Jack Curry.
• If the Yankees do go outside the organization to replace Granderson, they can find a better option toward the end of camp, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com. 
• A deal for Alfonso Soriano could make sense for the Yankees and the Cubs have made it clear to the industry they would be willing to pay much of the $36MM owed Soriano for the next two years, according to ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter links).
• Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com asked if the Yankees turn to Vernon Wells to replace Granderson. If so, the Angels would still have to eat a majority of the $42MM due Wells over the next two years (Twitter links).
• Orioles manager Buck Showalter told reporters, including CSNBaltimore.com's Rich Dubroff, he's satisfied with the DH candidates already in camp and will not scour the free agent market. "We’re answering the questions here,” Showalter said. “We’re going to find it right here. We spent a lot of time getting this group in. We’re going to look in our backyard." Wilson Betemit is the main candidate to DH against right-handers while Russ Canzler and Danny Valencia are the favorites against left-handers. Dubroff also sees Nolan Reimold in the mix as well as regulars whom Showalter wants to give a breather.

• Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (on Twitter) sees several tradeable pieces on the Red Sox roster.  Among them are the club's spare catchers (Ryan Lavarnway or Jarrod Saltalamacchia), Alfredo Aceves, Andrew Bailey, or one of their left-handed relievers.  Abraham isn't sure what those pieces could net Boston in return, however.
• The Yankees' signing of Matt Diaz to a minor league deal likely won't end their search for a right-handed hitting outfield option, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.  Diaz's deal will be worth $1.2MM if he reaches the majors with the chance to earn an additional $800K in incentives.
• Diaz could be primed for a bounce-back year as his agents at Reynolds Sports Management (on Twitter) point out that the outfielder's recurring thumb issues are behind him.  Diaz's slash line over the last two years has been .251/.295/.326 versus .301/.350/.456 in the previous eight seasons.

5:44pm: Diaz will earn $1.2MM plus incentives if he makes the big league club, sources tell Feinsand (on Twitter).

5:05pm: The Yankees have agreed to terms with Matt Diaz on a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp, according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).  Feinsand tipped the signing earlier this week when he noted that the outfielder would be a potential fit for the Bombers.

Diaz spent last season with the Braves and posted a .222/.280/.333 batting line in 51 big league games.  The Reynolds Sports Management client boasts a career .324/.364/.498 slash line against lefties.

• Yankees GM Brian Cashman blames the team's lack of pursuit of Raul Ibanez on the club's priority of acquiring a right-handed hitting outfielder. Beyond finding an outfielder, Cashman says that the team does not have an unlimited budget and must work within its means. 
• Feinsand points to right-handed outfielder Matt Diaz as a potential fit for the Yankees. Diaz has regained his health, should be an inexpensive sign and would bring a career batting line against lefties of .324/.364/.498.
• The Yankees will open the 2013 season with a payroll over $200MM but remain in a situation similar to last year where Cashman had to move expensive contracts before adding anyone new.

Cardenas, 23, reached Double-A this year, though he spent most of his season at Class A. The Dominican pitched 59 2/3 total innings, all in relief, and posted a 2.11 ERA with 11.5 K/9 and 5.3 BB/9 (his ERA with Class A Lynchburg was 0.79). The Braves selected Cardenas from the Twins in the minor league phase of last winter's Rule 5 draft.

• The Braves, who had interest in Jamey Carroll before acquiring Jack Wilson, could likely have acquired Carroll for a low-level prospect, according to Steve Dilbeck of the LA Times. It’s believed that the Dodgers would have covered the remainder of Carroll’s $2.3MM salary, Dilbeck writes.
• The player to be named in the Matt Diaz trade will be a low-level prospect from an agreed-upon pool of players, according to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter).
• The Braves added Diaz because they’re looking ahead to a possible playoff matchup against the Phillies, ESPN.com's Buster Olney writes (on Twitter).

Matt Diaz is returning to the Braves, as the Pirates announced they've traded him to Atlanta for a player to be named later or cash considerations.  Diaz fits the Braves' desire to add a right-handed hitting bench bat, and of course they had him in the organization from 2006-10 before non-tendering him last winter. 

Diaz, 33, is hitting .259/.303/.324 in 231 plate appearances for the Pirates this year while playing mostly right field.  He was signed to a two-year, $4.25MM deal in December, but hasn't shown the expected power production against left-handed pitchers.  David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes on Twitter that the Pirates are sending some cash to the Braves to offset Diaz's $2MM salary for 2012.  The Braves might not be done dealing, hears ESPN's Buster Olney (Twitter link).  

GMs Neal Huntington and Frank Wren have matched up on three prior trades according to our Transaction Tracker, most notably the June '09 deal that sent Nate McLouth to Atlanta.

ESPN's Buster Olney first reported the trade.  Photo courtesy of Icon SMI.

The 32-year-old handles lefties well and could become a complement to Garrett Jones, who handles righties well. Diaz has a .335/.373/.533 line against southpaws in his career, though he bats just .269/.327/.382 against right-handers. The Braves non-tendered Diaz earlier in the month, making him a free agent. Diaz has experience in right field, but he has spent most of his big league career in left.

12:42pm: Matt Diaz seems to be one of baseball's more popular non-tenders.  His agent Larry Reynolds believes he'll sign in the "next couple of days, even today."  Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports adds the Diamondbacks to a list of suitors that also includes the Red Sox, Royals, Dodgers, Mariners, Blue Jays, and Yankees.  The Phillies and Pirates have come up in a more speculative sense.

Rosenthal notes that the Diamondbacks prefer a first base/left field utility type like Diaz or Xavier Nady to a full-time option like Derrek Lee.  It seems they could end up with platoons at third base, first base, and left field in 2011.