Not too long ago, Alexis Diaz was one of the most dominant closers in the National League. Now, he's a shell of the pitcher he once was. Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona knows that, but the Reds organization seemingly does not.
As Drew Koch of Blog Red Machine pointed out, Francona said when the Reds demoted Diaz to the Minor Leagues that the righty has to learn how to be more consistent. Well, so far with Triple-A Louisville he's issued three walks in four innings of work. Sure, he has not allowed a run yet and has struck out five batters, but command and consistency remain big issues for a pitcher who has not been locked in for a couple of years now.
By remaining extremely inconsistent, Diaz is proving Francona right for not trusting him — and the Reds wrong for having the opposite viewpoint.
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It's time for the Reds to accept Alexis Diaz is not the star they thought he was
Diaz was an All-Star for the Reds back in 2023 when he saved 37 games and had an ERA just a shade above 3.00 in 71 appearances. Last season, however, saw his ERA balloon by nearly a run and saw his FIP elevate to 4.57. This season, Diaz missed time due to injury, and in his six MLB appearances he allowed eight runs and a whopping four home runs in just six innings of work before getting sent down. Francona never used him in a save situation, and Diaz still struggled.
Despite the signs of a pitcher who is clearly not who he was years ago, the Reds' messaging makes fans believe that they still believe in him. "The front office continues to preach patience, framing this as a rough patch for a pitcher they still 'believe in,'" Tremayne Person wrote for Blog Red Machine.
Given their belief in Diaz, instead of Cincinnati trading the 28-year-old for anything they possibly can, they seem intent on giving him time to figure things out and revert back to the guy he once was.
Until he can actually show the consistency that Francona wants to see, which he hasn't done since that 2023 season, the Reds will be making a mistake. The longer he continues to struggle, the less likely it is that he does actually bounce back. Francona knows that, but the Reds front office has not learned its lesson yet.