Dodgers GM Reveals Rationale Behind Alexis Diaz Trade
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been busy in their pursuit of bullpen depth as of late. On Monday, the Dodgers made a one-for-one trade with the Seattle Mariners for right-hander Will Klein. On Tuesday, they signed-right hander Jose Urena.
Last week, the Dodgers acquired former All-Star closer Alexis Diaz from the Cincinnati Reds via trade.
Diaz has struggled this season, making just six appearances at the Major League level in 2025. He joined the Dodgers with a 12.00 ERA, a mark that got him optioned to Triple-A.
While Klein and Urena became the latest reclamation projects for the Dodgers, Diaz is in the midst of working with the team’s pitching and performance group in Arizona.
“We feel like we have an opportunity to take a step back and focus on his delivery and getting his body moving properly again,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said to the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett. “He’s still showing flashes of the elite reliever he was in the past with the ability to dominate right-handed hitters but hasn’t been able to consistently repeat that version.”
The Dodgers are hoping to get Diaz back to his All-Star form, where he produced a 3.07 ERA with 86 strikeouts over 67.1 innings pitched during the 2023 season.
Manager Dave Roberts expects Diaz to join the Dodgers bullpen soon. L.A. relievers currently lead the league in innings, an indication that the bullpen is being used too often so early in the season.
The Dodgers currently have 15 pitchers on the injured list, the latest being reliever Luis Garcia. Injuries have not been kind to the defending champions, and the Dodgers are quite frankly desperate for newcomers like Diaz to perform well for the depleted bullpen.
