Arroyo, 31 in May, was once a standout player, but he hasn’t been able to do much with the scattered big league opportunities. In seven seasons from 2017 to 2023, he appeared in 295 games across the Giants, Rays, Guardians and Red Sox. In his 992 plate appearances, his strikeout rate of 21.7% was decent, but he walked only 5.1% of the time and hit only 24 home runs. That led to a combined .252/.299/.394 line and 86 wRC+.
If anything, he provided defensive versatility. He has experience at all four spots in the infield and right field. But the lack of offensive output has kept him in the minors the past two years. He signed a minor league contract with the Brewers for the 2024 season and the Phillies for 2025, without being drafted by either club.
With the Phils last year, he was on and off the minor league injured list all season. He played just 45 Triple-A games this year. His .314/.384/.485 line there was quite strong, but was helped by a .375 batting average on balls in play.
For the Mets, it wouldn’t hurt to make a non-roster deal to add some depth. They’ve handled the spots in the middle of the infield Francisco Lindor at short stop and Marcus Semien at second base. On first base, Pete Alonso left for the Orioles. Jorge Polanco has signed with the Mets and could take over initially, but he could also spend significant time at the designated hitter spot. That might allow it Mark Wind to spend time first and leave Brett Batty as the regular in third place. Ronny Mauricio, Luisangel Acuna And Jared Young are also on the roster and could be in the mix.
It’s a fairly crowded group, but Mauricio and Young still have options, meaning the Mets could send them to Triple-A for regular at-bats, which could free up space on the bench. It’s also possible that another trade could shake things up, as the Mets are reportedly open to talking to Vientos, Mauricio and Acuña in trade negotiations. If Arroyo ultimately lands a roster spot as an experienced bench/utility player, he will be out of options.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement, Imagn Images
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