Meet Lewin Diaz, Baseball's Biggest Hot-Potato Prospect
During the MLB offseason, we can rely on at least two things: players changing uniforms via trades or free-agent signings, and the ensuing roster crunch that usually follows. Oftentimes, these moves require making space on the team for said new acquisition, resulting in bumping a player who either may not be a good fit for the organization, is in excess at his position (making him expendable) or both. But all hope is not lost for these players. Getting removed from the 40-man roster -- otherwise known as being designated for assignment, or "DFA'd" for short -- means a club has seven days to trade the player or pass him through waivers (where another team can claim him). Players often change teams through this process, especially when they have upside, as these moves can sometimes involve younger players with fringe MLB potential. The catch? The acquiring or claiming team needs to fit the player onto their 40-man roster. Such can begin a cycle of a player being in both too much demand and too little -- and perhaps no one embodies that more than Baltimore Orioles first baseman Lewin Diaz. To say that Diaz has endured a roller-coaster of an offseason thus far would be an understatement: Since last November, he was DFA'd an astounding five times before finally clearing waivers and getting outrighted to the minors by the Orioles. As...
