The Guardians made one more move after a busy trade deadline stretch, designating Gabriel Arias for assignment and bringing up Angel Genao.
Arias’ spot opened up after Cleveland chose not to move him at the deadline, then moved on from the struggling infielder anyway. The DFA gives other clubs seven days to claim him on waivers.
If no team takes him, Cleveland can send him to the minors - but Arias has more than five years of service time, so he can refuse that assignment and become a free agent. If he is claimed, the new club would get him on its major league roster and control the remaining three years on his contract.
Arias never found much rhythm this season. He appeared in just 42 games for the Guardians and hit .244 with five home runs and 11 RBIs. Left-handed pitching was a major problem, too, as he batted only .143 against southpaws with 23 strikeouts in 42 at-bats.
Genao, meanwhile, gets his first shot in the big leagues after climbing steadily through the system. Cleveland’s No. 2 prospect signed as an international free agent in 2021, was added to the 40-man roster in 2025 to keep him away from the Rule 5 draft, and then went to Triple-A Columbus ahead of the 2026 season. There, he put together a strong year over 72 games, hitting .309 with a .395 on-base percentage, 10 homers, 42 RBIs and nine stolen bases.
Cleveland enters this next phase at 57-57, three games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central and holding the American League’s final wild card spot by a game over the Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers. Genao is set to make his MLB debut Wednesday night against the New York Mets.
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Guardians Finally Made The Roster Move Fans Wanted Most
The Guardians continued their trade-deadline roster makeover by making a move many fans had been waiting on, parting with a longtime familiar face to open space for a younger piece in the organization. It marked another sign that Cleveland is willing to keep reshaping the roster as it looks for better production and a cleaner fit down the stretch.
Gabriel Arias, who had been with the club for nearly six years, was designated for assignment even after showing some recent signs of progress at the plate. His overall time in Cleveland has been a mixed bag, and the organization chose to move on as Angel Genao was brought in to take the roster spot, leaving one more layer to the Guardians' broader deadline overhaul. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Just Sent A Clear Message About This Championship Push
The Guardians didnt sit still at the trade deadline, and that alone said plenty about where they see themselves in the standings. Cleveland gave up eight minor leaguers, including one top 30 prospect, to add outfielders Jo Adell and Nathaniel Lowe along with pitchers Foster Griffin and a reliever, a clear sign the front office was willing to pay a real price to improve the roster right now.
It also felt like a familiar kind of swing for a franchise that has made this sort of deadline push before, including a busy stretch 26 years ago. With Jos Ramrezs contract situation still part of the bigger picture, these moves carry more weight than a simple midseason upgrade, because they point directly at a team trying to turn a competitive window into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]