In our collective, continued existence as residents of Panic City, the fear surrounding Francisco Lindor’s surgically repaired left hand is lingering on the edges of our minds. Yesterday, we looked at Jackson Cluff as a potential short-term replacement for Lindor if the timing of his recovery is slower than expected. Today, we do the same with Christian Arroyo.
While on the surface Arroyo and Cluff look similar, their circumstances are quite different. Arroyo, entering his age 31 season, is out of
minor league options and so can’t be moved up and down from Triple-A Syracuse without clearing waivers, whereas Cluff has yet to make his big league debut yet and can make that trek as often as the Mets like. While Cluff was a sixth round draft pick out of college, Arroyo went in the first round out of high school and was once heralded as one of the best prospects in baseball.
It is likely due to that prospect background that Arroyo is still sticking around, 13 years after being drafted by the Giants with the 25th overall pick. Prospects of that caliber usually have natural talent for days and the thought is that they are more likely to ‘figure it out’ late than someone with a lesser skillset.
But time is running out for Arroyo to do just that. In 295 MLB games, he’s hit just .252/.299/.394 with 24 home runs. His last big league at-bat came in 2023 with the Red Sox; in subsequent full minor league seasons with the Brewers and Phillies, he never once got called up.
On the plus side, he’s defensively versatile, having played all four infield positions as well as right field. He also had a nice offensive season in Triple-A Lehigh Valley last season, but a BABIP of .375 might have somewhat inflated that number.
This signing has almost no downside for the Mets. Arroyo is cheap, he’ll get some spring reps, and if Lindor’s recovery time is brief and healthy, he’ll either wind up in Syracuse or out of the organization. If, for some reason, he unlocks something after a baker’s dozen years in pro baseball, fantastic. But even if he doesn’t, this is the type of move that teams can and should make all the time.
