Christian

Arroyo

Arroyo hit free agency briefly earlier this week but winds up returning to New York on a brand new minor league pact. The 31-year-old infielder has hit an impressive .303/.333/.446 with five homers and six steals in 43 games for Triple-A Syracuse this season. He hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since the 2023 campaign.

Alzolay missed all of last season after having Tommy John surgery and pitched just two innings this year. Nick Burdi has also battled injuries for much ofhis career, and Christian Arroyo has not had MLB at-bats since 2023.

Arroyo last appeared in an MLB game in 2023 with the Boston Red Sox. He spent all of last season in the Phillies’ organization, slashing .314/.384/.485 at Triple-A Lehigh Valley while hitting five home runs. He can play all over the infield and even played some outfield with the Red Sox, so he’s a true utility player.

The moves leave Kody Clemens and Buddy Kennedy fighting for the final spot on Philadelphia’s season-opening bench. There are some notable names here, but Stevenson, Arroyo and Mercado are merely emergency depth at this stage of their respective careers.

Arroyo spent 2024 in Triple-A with the Brewers and hit .237/.305/.360. He last appeared in the big leagues in 2023 and is a career .252/.299/.394 hitter in 992 plate appearances. He’s a long shot to break camp with the Phillies.

The deal is a $1.5 million base salary that includes $500K in incentives, so the Brewers will likely be looking at Arroyo as a versatile bench bat who can play all over the field, but he will need to earn a spot in spring training. Arroyo spent his last four seasons in Boston, where they played primary 2B and SS but was also used in the outfield for a brief stretch. While he did flash solid contact skills at times, he also hit just .241/.268/.369 over 206 plate appearances last season and was designated for assignment over the summer.

Arroyo was bumped off the 40-man roster back in August and passed through waivers unclaimed. The 28-year-old hit just .241/.268/.369 over 206 plate appearances with the Red Sox this past season and will likely have to settle for a spring training invite this offseason.

Arroyo would have to sacrifice roughly $2 million left on his contract to elect free agency, so he’s going to remain with the Red Sox’ organization at Triple-A Worcester for the remainder of the year. The 28-year-old infielder went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment last Friday.

In turn, the Red Sox have promoted the recently-acquired Luis Urías to the active roster. Arroyo, 28, has seen significant time at second base this season while hitting just .241/.268/.369 over 206 plate appearances. Urías is now primed to take over second base duties.

Arroyo was back in Boston’s lineup for Tuesday’s series opener against the Braves following a one-game absence due to right thumb soreness. He’ll continue to factor in the Red Sox’ second base mix, even after Trevor Story returns from the injured list to take over at shortstop.