The buzz surrounding Orioles infielder Manny Machado is currently at an all-time high, and according to multiple reports he will be traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The deal, as reported by CBS Sports, would likely include sending Machado and cash to the Dodgers, while Dustin May, Errol Robinson, and Yusniel Diaz would be sent to the Orioles. Diaz, 21, is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Dodgers’ No. 4 prospect and No. 85 in all of baseball. Diaz has yet to play a major league game, but several players, including Red Sox legend David Ortiz, has said that he has what it takes to become a star. “His approach is legit,” Ortiz told MLB.com, “That’s what impressed me.” Here’s what you need to know about Yusniel Diaz: 1. He Was Signed By the Dodgers for $15.5 Million In 2015 Diaz was born on October 7, 1996 in Havana, Cuba. At age 17, Diaz played with the Industriales de La Habana of the Cuban National Series (Serie Nacional de Béisbol) which is the primary domestic amateur baseball league in Cuba. He was on pace to be the Rookie of the Year in the senior Cuban League, batting .348 in 65 games with 36 walks, 33 strikeouts and seven stolen bases, but he chose to defect to the Dominican Republic instead. According to Think Blue, he held a workout in the Dominican Republic when he was 19, which was attended by scouts from several different MLB teams. He eventually signed with the Dodgers for $15.5 million. Ben Badler, the for Baseball America, said that the Dodgers had been keeping tabs on Diaz dating back to May 2014, and that they made a point of signing him as soon as he was eligible for the 2015-16 international signing pool. At the time of his signing, Diaz was ranked 17th in Baseball America’s Top 20 Cuban players. Diaz was one of several Latin American players that the Dodgers signed in 2015, and he received the second-highest salary behind Yadier Alvarez. He made his Dodgers debut in 2016 High-A ball, and put up a solid slash line of .267/.326/.415. 2. He Was Invited to the Dodgers Major League Camp In January Post Game Chats – Yusniel Diaz – Dodgers ProspectMy sincere apologies for the re-focus of my camera in this video. Yusniel Diaz is the Player of the Month for June in the California League and was one of the offensive players of the game tonight as the Quakes defeat the 66ers 6 – 4. Special thanks to Yusniel Diaz for his time and… 2017-07-09T08:14:44.000Z Diaz continued to work his way through the Dodgers minor league ranks, opening the 2017 season with High-A Rancho Cucamonga, where he hit .278/.343/.414 in 83 games, and then with Double-A Tulsa, where he hit an impressive .333/.390/.491 line in 31 games. Diaz’s success eventually led the Dodgers to invite him to their major league camp at the beginning of the 2018 season. A few weeks later, CBS Sports reported that Diaz was going to be held back in extended spring training, and he eventually joined up with Double-A Tusla. The club did not state the exact reason why, but CBS cites injuries as a possible cause. Despite his solid play, Diaz admitted that he does feel pressure to improve his play, and deliver on the initial promise that the Dodgers saw in him.“I’m trying to satisfy all the expectations on me. I’m trying to work to get those stats up and get my power going,” he told True Blue LA. “I’m working out more, trying to get stronger. When I’m in the cage I’m trying to focus on power.” 3. He Has Suffered Multiple Injuries Throughout His Career Yusniel Diaz, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers — April 24, 2017 VideoPlayer name: Yusniel Diaz Organization: Los Angeles Dodgers Video description: Los Angeles Dodgers outfield prospect Yusniel Diaz bats for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes during an April 24, 2017 California League game against the San Jose Giants in Rancho Cucamonga's LoanMart Field. Yusniel Diaz is one of the Dodgers' top 30 prospects entering the 2017 season,… 2017-04-27T07:15:03.000Z Despite putting up solid numbers, Diaz has had to deal with several different injuries throughout his playing career. In April, the unspecified injuries he suffered caused him to be held back in extended spring training, where he did not make his 2018 debut until April 18. Less than a month later, Diaz suffered a hip injury and was placed back on the DL. In an SB Nation scouting report, cited Diaz’s proneness to injury and felt that it was a hindrance to his overall game. “To Diaz’s credit, his swing improvements prove a willingness to address his shortcomings,” the report states. “Though his lack of physicality and plus foot speed are natural obstacles to a traditional profile in center or right that aren’t easily overcome.” 4. He Hit 2 Home Runs At the 2018 Future All-Stars Game Diaz clobbers 2-run jack, game-tying HRYusniel Diaz hammers a two-run home run in the 5th inning, then ties the game with a solo jack in the 7th inning of the Futures Game About Major League Baseball: Major League Baseball (MLB) is the most historic professional sports league in the United States and consists of 30 member clubs in the U.S.… 2018-07-16T05:13:10.000Z Diaz had his biggest showcase to date at the 2018 Future All-Stars Game, which was held at Nationals Park. Diaz, who considers himself more of a contact and opposite field hitter, swatted two home-runs during the game, making him only the second player in history to do so. The first was former Yankee superstar Alfonso Soriano in 1999. “I’m really inspired and really happy, for the fans and for my family who came to support me,” he said. “Expect the best from me. I’m going to leave everything on the field. Those two home runs came from the heart.” Yusniel Diaz— 2018 Futures Game BP 2018-07-15T22:22:49.000Z David Ortiz, who managed the World Team and got to work closely with Diaz, gushed about his talents to MLB.com. “This guy hits like he has two strikes — with power. That’s something that impressed me a lot,” he said. “The two homers that he hit, they were, like, big guys’ bombs. He looked great.” “Put it this way,” Ortiz continued. “Those are Minor Leaguers hitting balls like big leaguers, that is impressive. I saw balls hit today that I swear, I was watching a Major League Baseball player. I can imagine you guys had the same impression. We’re talking about kids hitting balls like big leaguers. That’s a better way to say the game is in good hands.” 5. Diaz Is Reportedly the Difference Maker In the Manny Machado Trade Machado is being pursued by a number of ball clubs, including the Milwaukee Brewers and the Philadelphia Phillies. The difference maker for the Dodgers, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman, is that they are willing to include Diaz in the deal. “The Dodgers appear to be the leading contender for superstar Manny Machado as talks head toward the finish line,” he tweeted on Tuesday. “The situation is fluid and brewers and phillies may still have an outside chance. Barring turnabout, deal should be done this week.” yusniel diaz, believed to be the centerpiece of the deal from the orioles' perspective, according to one scout is "an absolute stud." hit 2 dingers in futures game, many tools. — Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 18, 2018 “Yusniel Diaz, believed to be the centerpiece of the deal from the Orioles’ perspective, according to one scout is “an absolute stud.” hit 2 dingers in futures game, many tools,” Heyman confirmed in a separate tweet. While the Orioles are said to be prioritizing pitching, according to SportsNaut, Diaz’s recent tear at Double-A Tulsa, where he’s currently hitting .314 with six homers and 30 RBIs, is reportedly too good for the ball club to pass up.<doc-sep>The Dodgers had a pair of prospects play in the MLB Futures Game Sunday afternoon, a game filled with homers that would be won by Team USA, 10-6. Yusniel Diaz had quite a day for himself, starting the game in left field and hitting third in the lineup for Team World. The 21-year-old has only hit 26 homers in 1,118 plate appearances over the past three seasons but he connected with some power in two of his at-bats Sunday. Diaz would tie the game in both the fifth and seventh innings on mid-90s fastballs, one to right-center and the other to left-center. And just like that, we're tied again! ! Yusniel Diaz crushes his second homer of the game! #FuturesGame @Dodgers pic.twitter.com/R1syAfKHqB — MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 15, 2018 Catcher Keibert Ruiz didn’t get much of a chance to hit, or play for that matter, leaving the game early after a foul ball hit his right hand. Ruiz was 0-for-1 with a strikeout.<doc-sep>The Dodgers selected him in the eighth round last year and jumped Bannon, 22, right to High-A Rancho Cucamonga to start 2018 after he played rookie ball last year. Despite not showing much power until his final year at Xavier, he's homered 20 times with 16 doubles in the hitter-friendly California League, helping him to a .296/.402/.559 line in 89 games. Despite some uppercut in his swing, his high strikeout rate is largely because of the deep counts he gets himself in, and he otherwise shows a good command of the strike zone.<doc-sep>
By trading for Manny Machado, the Los Angeles Dodgers are adding an All-Star shortstop who's in the middle of a career year. They'll only have Machado for the rest of this season because he'll be a free agent this winter, but it would be worth it if Machado can help them win one more game than they did last year – when they lost the World Series to the Houston Astros in seven games. But who are the Baltimore Orioles getting in return? – OF Yusniel Diaz, 21. The headliner in the deal, Diaz is hitting .314/.428/.477 with six homers and eight stolen bases at Class AA Tulsa. He was selected to the All-Star Futures Game, where he hit two home runs for the World team. The Dodgers signed Diaz out of Cuba three seasons ago for $15.6 million -- and he's progressed rapidly through the farm system. The strides he's made this season in particular are impressive. He's been overly aggressive at the plate in his first two seasons in the minors, but through his first 59 games this year at Tulsa, Diaz has more walks (41) than strikeouts (39). BaseballHQ.com ranked Diaz No. 33 in its Midseason Top 50 prospects list. He should warrant a promotion to Class AAA before the end of the season, with an eye toward a debut in Baltimore sometime in 2019. The other three prospects in the deal are a bit further away from the majors. – INF Rylan Bannon, 22. Bannon, an eighth-round pick of Xavier in last year's draft, is playing his first full season as a pro at High Class-A Rancho Cucamonga (Calif). In the hitter-friendly Cal League, he's sporting a .296/.402/.559 slash line with 20 homers and 61 RBI in 338 plate appearances -- good enough to be named to the league's All-Star team. Bannon has split his time on defense between second and third base. – RHP Dean Kremer, 22. Kremer was a 14th-round pick in 2016 from UNLV. He has shown both power and control at High-A Rancho Cucamonga, with 114 strikeouts (13.0 K/9) and only 26 walks in 79 innings. Kremer was 5-3 with a 3.30 ERA in 16 starts before being promoted to Class AA Tulsa and throwing seven shutout innings and striking out 11 in his one start. – RHP Zach Pop, 21. Pop has been used exclusively a reliever since he was drafted in the seventh round last year from the University of Kentucky – and he's shown closer-worthy skills. At two Class-A levels, he's put up a 1.04 ERA and 0.88 WHIP, while averaging 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings. In addition ... – 2B Breyvic Valera, 26.The final player in the trade has played 25 games in the majors over the past two seasons. A native of Venezuela, Valera has a .154 career average with six hits, all singles. This season at Class AAA Oklahoma City, he's hit .284/.350/.433 with six home runs and 25 RBI in 56 games. Overall, it's not a bad haul for a rental player the Dodgers won't even attempt to re-sign because they already have their own All-Star shortstop in Corey Seager – who's out for the season after undergoing elbow surgery. The Orioles are also expected to trade impending free agents Adam Jones and Zach Britton before the July 31 deadline, so this could be just the start of a major rebuilding effort in Baltimore. Follow Gardner on Twitter @SteveAGardner