The Cincinnati Reds have traded reliever Alexis Diaz to the Log Angeles Dodgers, as first reported by MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News is reporting that Cincinnati is getting back minor league pitcher Mike Villani in the deal.
It’s been a fall from grace for Alexis Diaz, who not long ago was one of the best relievers in baseball. Today he is in Triple-A with the Louisville Bats and on the verge of being traded for a minor leaguer.
After starting the year on the injured list, Diaz went on a minor league rehab assignment shortly after the regular season began and spent 10 days with Louisville and didn’t exactly pitch well. In his five outings he allowed six hits and walked four batters in 5.0 innings and gave up three earned runs (5.40 ERA).
The Reds called him up despite some struggles and he got the job done, shakily, in his first three outings. But then the wheels fell off and in the next three outings he gave up eight runs in 3.1 innings on seven hits, two hit batters, and two walks while striking out just one hitter.
At that point the Reds decided to option him to Triple-A to try and straighten things out. Diaz has spent a month with Louisville and he hasn’t really straightened things out. He’s given up eight hits, hit two batters, walked eight, and struck out eight in his 8.2 innings pitched for the Bats.
Poor control has been a big issue in 2025 for Diaz. But his loss in velocity has been a problem, too, just more of a gradual one as his velocity has dipped over time since he made his debut with the Reds in 2022.
As for the return in the deal, Cincinnati is getting minor league pitcher Mike Villani. He was a 13th round draft pick last season out of Long Beach State. He’s pitched in two games as a professional, both at the rookie-level in Arizona. Villani is currently on the injured list.
With the trade, the Reds save some money and they free up a spot on the 40-man roster.
This article has been updated to correctly reflect that college that Mike Villani was drafted from.
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