Reds skipper Terry Francona says Alexis Diaz's Dodgers move could prove beneficial for all parties involved

Having struggled for consistency with the Cincinnati Reds this season, closer Alexis Diaz was shortlisted by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a trade target. On Thursday, a move eventually materialized, as Diaz was acquired by the Dodgers, with minor league prospect Mike Villani going the other way.

Shortly after the trade was confirmed, Cincinnati Reds skipper Terry Francona made an appearance on MLB Network Radio, wishing Diaz the best and hoping that this is a trade that could prove to be 'good for everyone involved' when looking back at it a few years from now.

"I think it's better for everybody," Terry Francona said. "Not to be critical of Alexis. Sometimes getting a new start can be really good for a player. We're not going to root against him.

"Guys go to a different place and maybe they are more receptive to some of the things. It happens all over the place. The only time I'll root against him is [if] he's pitching against us."

Expand Tweet

The Dodgers are hoping Alexis Diaz can return to past glory to help an injury-ravaged bullpen

LA players like Brusdar Graterol, Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen and Kirby Yates are all on the IL, looking at long stints on the sidelines. With this, the Dodgers find themselves in a bullpen injury crisis, which can also indirectly impact the health of the few healthy starting pitchers they have left, if not dealt with in time.

For that task, one of the men Dave Roberts and Co. have identified is Alexis Diaz. Though he is clearly far from his best right now, Diaz was an All-Star as recently as 2023, and definitely has it in him to return to those levels, which is something the Dodgers are clearly banking on.

Alexis Diaz in action against the Colorado Rockies - Source: Getty

Having acquired Diaz, a relatively experienced player at the top level, without giving up too much, could certainly prove to be quite a masterstroke by the 2024 World Series champions, if the Puerto Rican is able to unlock his undoubted potential.

For now, Diaz has been sent to the Dodgers' training facility in Arizona to perfect his craft.

About the author

Raghav Mehta is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda awaiting results for a Bachelor's in Journalism from Delhi University. He enjoys highlighting the key battles between players at different stages of the game and analyzing the decisive moments upon which they hinge.

One of Raghav's favorite moments, which underscores this, was the Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout clash in the 2023 WBC, where two of baseball's best players faced off against each other in the 9th inning. With the score 3-2 to Japan, Shohei eventually got the strikeout, which was absolute cinema.

Raghav is a Baltimore Orioles fan and is enjoying watching such an exciting young team compete at the top in a very competitive division.

Raghav has loved watching sports for as long as he can remember and realized he was pretty decent at writing his thoughts down at around the age of 14. Combining the two meant he had something he would enjoy doing every day, and he had identified that well before going to college.

Aside from work, Raghav enjoys playing sports, working out and watching movies.

Know More

Edited by Ruth John S