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2008 Six years into his pro career, the Dominican Diaz finally escaped A-ball and continued slapping singles all over the diamond. There's nothing here beyond an average, but Diaz's high contact rate gives him a shot at sustaining an empty .300 in the majors. That and his good defense would make him an average catcher. September surgery to repair a fractured hamate bone in his left hand would be worrisome if he had power to lose. 2007 Diaz is a little bit of an anomaly: A catcher who hits like a middle infielder, with good contact-hitting ability, a very low strikeout rate, and above-average speed. His defense is quite good, and repeating the level can`t be held against him because the organization gave priority to Curtis Thigpen. Still, the toll of the catching position is going to make it hard for him to keep legging out base hits, so there may not be much development in his bat.
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