According to several reports, first baseman Lewin Diaz is joining the Samsung Lions in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). The team has not officially announced the move, but Diaz is reportedly on his way to Korea. He will be replacing the injured Ruben Cardenas on the Lion’s roster.
The deadline for teams in the KBO to sign players and have them be postseason eligible is Aug. 15. It’s not seen as often for players to sign this late in the KBO season, although starting pitcher Eric Lauer recently signed with the Kia Tigers just last week. Hopefully, the Lions can complete the deal before the deadline looms closer.
Diaz, 27, was born in the Dominican Republic. He began his minor league career with the Minnesota Twins in 2013 and was a top prospect in their organization for several years. Diaz was flipped to the Miami Marlins during the 2019 trade deadline, bringing the Twins relief pitcher Sergio Romo.
He would make his debut with the Marlins in 2020, playing in 14 games, only picking up six hits in 39 at-bats, and striking out 12 times. He remained with the Marlins for another two seasons, playing more off the bench as he appeared in 98 games with the fish. In Diaz’s major-league career, he hit a career .181, slugging 13 home runs and 27 RBIs. In the 2022 offseason, he would be claimed off waivers, ending his Marlins tenure.
2022 was the last season that we saw Diaz don a big-league uniform. He played the entire 2023 season with Triple-A Norfolk in the Baltimore Orioles organization, where he played very well. Diaz hit .268, blasting 17 home runs and 68 RBIs in 118 games. Diaz also played his fourth winter ball season with LIDOM’s Estrellas Orientales.
With no teams showing interest in signing him on a minor league contract, Diaz headed over to Liga Mexicana de Beisbol where he performed above expectations. Playing with both the Piratas de Campeche and the Diablos Rojos de Mexico, he would play in 75 games, hitting 19 home runs and 77 RBIs with a career-best .376 average. Now, Diaz heads overseas to Korea, where he looks to help the third-place Samsung Lions in their playoff race, only five and a half games back in the standings.
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WBN KBO: https://worldbaseball.com/league/south-korea/
Photo Credit: Lewin Díaz #34 of the Miami Marlins hits a home run during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at loanDepot park on September 25, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Bryan Cereijo/Getty Images)
