The Mets’ waiver claim of Gabriel Arias looks a lot bigger than a depth move.
New York grabbed the veteran infielder from the Cleveland Guardians last week after Cleveland removed him from its roster when top prospect Angel Genao was called up. Arias had spent the first four and a half seasons of his career in Cleveland, but now he gets a fresh shot in Queens, where the path to playing time is open enough to matter.
That matters because the Mets are staring past this season and into 2027. After the trade deadline, the focus has shifted toward what the roster might look like down the road, and the infield picture is anything but settled.
Mark Vientos is still out after breaking his hand more than a month ago, while Brett Baty is seeing more time in the outfield. That leaves the Mets with questions on the dirt and not a ton of answers.
Nick Lorusso is one of the minor league names that gives the Mets some intrigue, but so far they have not brought up any of those options for a look. Right now, Arias may be the bench infielder who gets the clearest runway the rest of the way. That alone gives him a real chance to make an impression before 2027 rolls around.
And if he does it against big league pitching, it carries more weight than anything he could have done in spring training. A strong finish would not just help Arias’ case - it could push one Met onto the hot seat heading into the offseason.
The appeal starts with what Arias can do defensively. In his time with Cleveland this year, the Venezuelan-born infielder posted a .669 OPS with five homers, 11 runs driven in, and four stolen bases while covering all four infield spots.
Over his career, he has played at least 10 innings at all seven defensive positions. That kind of versatility is something the Mets are trying to find, especially with Baty being used in the outfield corners.
There is also the business side. Arias is inexpensive and under club control through the 2030 season, and he does not reach arbitration until the 2027 cycle. That puts him on the same arbitration and free agency track as Vientos, which is exactly why this could turn into a direct competition for a roster spot.
For the Mets, the choice could end up being more than just who plays better in the final two months. With Vientos, there is still hope that he can rediscover the form that helped fuel the Mets’ run to the 2024 NLCS. But if Arias takes advantage of this opening, that hope might start working against Vientos instead of for him.
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