Yandy Díaz Returns as Rays’ Steadying Force Amid Roster Shakeup
PORT CHARLOTTE - The beard is gone, but the presence remains. Yandy Díaz, now the longest-tenured player on a Tampa Bay Rays roster that’s seen more turnover than a double play, showed up to spring training Monday looking like he never left. Trimmed down to a chin scruff flecked with gray, Díaz may be changing his look, but not his mindset.
At 34, with his 35th birthday on deck this August, Díaz enters his eighth season in Tampa Bay as a rare constant in a clubhouse that’s undergone a serious winter renovation. More than 20 players moved on, including Brandon Lowe, one of Díaz’s closest teammates. Through it all, Díaz remains planted - both physically and as a clubhouse cornerstone.
“The mindset stays the same,” Díaz said through team interpreter Kevin Vera. “I try to stay youthful. I try to stay energetic and do my part on the field, off the field.”
That mindset was tested this offseason. As the Rays reshaped their roster with a series of trades and moves, Díaz admitted he couldn’t help but wonder if he might be next.
He signed a three-year extension in 2023 that includes a $12 million option for this season and another team option for 2027 - a deal structured with the hope of finishing his career in Tampa Bay. But nothing was guaranteed.
“I obviously had it in my mind, seeing the rumors and whatnot,” he said. “But as time went on, obviously I was staying here in Tampa Bay.
So, just extremely grateful. Extremely grateful for the organization and thankful to God to keep me here.
And just excited for another season.”
That excitement was mutual. When Díaz walked into camp Monday, he was met with the kind of energy that only a well-respected veteran can bring.
And it’s not just his leadership - it’s the physical presence, too. Díaz showed up in peak form, his chest and arms stretching the limits of his workout shirt.
“He looks really good,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “You know he puts his time in the gym, and (the question is) how big is he going to get and all that. But this year he’s come in, and he looks like he’s big as usual but very athletic.”
Díaz knows the roster looks different, but his approach hasn’t changed. Compete.
Lead. Win.
“Obviously, there’s a lot of new faces, but the mindset stays the same,” he said. “We’ve got to compete.
We’ve got to do our part. It’s exciting just to see all the new faces, but everything stays the same.
We’re just trying to do our job.”
That said, there’s no denying the vibe is a little different without Lowe in the room. The two formed a close, if unlikely, friendship - a classic Odd Couple pairing that brought levity to the clubhouse. They joked about everything from body types to fashion sense to language barriers.
“Obviously I’m going to miss him a lot,” Díaz said. “We had a really good relationship. Not seeing him here, I’m just going to miss him.”
Lowe was traded to Pittsburgh after the Rays picked up his option, and while the two haven’t caught up yet, they’ll have chances this spring and again in mid-April when the Rays visit the Pirates.
“It’s an interesting dynamic, because you’re excited for him that he’s going to keep playing,” Díaz said, “but obviously a little upset that he’s now on a new team.”
As for Díaz’s role in 2026, it’ll be familiar: he’s expected to serve as the team’s primary designated hitter. The goal is to keep him healthy and in the lineup consistently, avoiding the wear and tear that can come from playing first base every day.
That was the plan last season, too - until Jonathan Aranda injured his wrist in late July, forcing Díaz into more starts at first than originally planned. Even so, he delivered a career year: 150 games, 651 plate appearances, a .300 average, 25 home runs, and 83 RBIs.
“For me, it stays the same. I’m a ballplayer.
Wherever they need me, I’m going to go play,” Díaz said. “Right now, obviously the focus is on DH, but I can go anywhere, play anywhere.
Right now, my focus is to stay healthy and keep impacting the team in the right ways, and keep doing my thing.”
And that “thing” - steady, productive, professional hitting - is something the Rays have come to count on.
“He’s kind of the stability of our offense,” Cash said. “He’s been that for quite some time, (with) a combination of other guys. You can hear his teammates compliment him about the type of hitter he is and the energy that he brings.”
Díaz isn’t chasing personal milestones. He’s chasing wins. That’s where his head is at as a new-look Rays squad gets to work.
“Right now, I’m just focusing on my health and obviously doing my part a little bit to do whatever I can. But I feel good entering the season,” he said.
“The most important thing is just to win. I’m not one of those guys that shows off the stats.
I’m here to win. That’s the most important goal for the team and for me as an individual - just to get the clubhouse right, get the team right, and obviously put results on the field, and win.”