The Twins have cut ties with Orlando Arcia, ending the veteran infielder’s stint in the organization after he was released from Triple-A St. Paul’s roster, according to Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Arcia, 31, appeared in 19 games for Minnesota this season and had been in the minors since mid-June. He signed a minor league deal with the Twins in January, didn’t make the Opening Day roster, then got his chance when a slumping Royce Lewis was sent down. In 50 plate appearances with Minnesota, Arcia put up a .654 OPS and saw action at all four infield spots.
Once Lewis returned in June, Arcia was bumped off the big-league roster after less than a month with the club. He could have tested free agency after being designated for assignment, but instead stayed in the system and continued at Triple-A.
That move came after a rough 2024 split between the Braves and Rockies, when Arcia managed just a 33 wRC+ in 76 games. An elbow injury also sidelined him for part of August.
With his plate discipline slipping and his power fading, there was real doubt about whether he’d get back to the majors. His 2026 season had looked more like the version of Arcia teams have usually expected: modest offense, useful defensive flexibility.
At St. Paul, he was hitting .282/.336/.498 across 63 games.
The big-league sample was small, but there were a few encouraging signs in his bat. Arcia posted a 10.1% swinging-strike rate and an 85.5% zone contact rate with the Twins, both slightly better than his career numbers.
The issue was damage. His 25% hit rate was the main drag, and while he’s never been known as a big bat-to-ball force, he didn’t produce much impact in Minnesota.
Minnesota’s infield picture also left little room. Brooks Lee has become the full-time third baseman, which has pushed most of Royce Lewis’ reps to the right side.
Ryan Kreidler has handled shortstop, Kody Clemens is at second base now that Luke Keaschall is a full-time outfielder, and the bench doesn’t feature a true middle infielder unless Austin Martin counts, given his four games at second base in 2025. So Arcia is now back on the market, looking for another shot.
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