Diaz Likely to Return

We all remember him, the smiling big guy out in right who slaps balls up the middle and gives it his all. Matt Diaz, injured last year with a torn ligament in his knee, will likely be re-signed by the Braves during his arbitration year.

Diaz is one my favorite players. He is not flashy or gung-ho, but just a guy doing his job, very Brave-esque. I got to shake his hand once, when I was let onto the field, and he signed a baseball for me. He also put a Bible verse number on the ball. A little strange, but whatever. He plays baseball good.

With all this talk about bringing in a big outfield hitter, Matt has been lost in the discussion. Where does he fit in? If we bring in a big bat, he likely wont start over Frenchy and he is not fast enough to play center (not even close), so pinch hitting duties will be his specialty. Matt Diaz has been a pretty darn good pinch hitter over the years, and I think he will continue to do a fine job. In the NL, having a good bench is very important, and Matt can start for a lot of teams. I think it would be most excellent to bring him back to provide a little veteran leadership off the bench. He is a true professional, and I would be very happy to see him return.

So, an early welcome back Matt. (Hopefully we can say that officially soon).