The Yankees are bringing back right-hander Michael Arias on a minor league deal, according to his MLB.com transactions log. New York acquired the reliever in a trade with the Cubs last offseason after Chicago designated him for assignment.
Arias put together a strong season across several minor league levels in the Yankees’ system, posting a 2.73 ERA with a 27.1% strikeout rate. While he began the year in the Florida Complex League, the righty didn’t pile up stats against overmatched competition. Arias did his best work at Double-A, pushing his strikeout rate over 30% and limiting hitters to a .205 batting average.
Control is always going to be the question with Arias. He compiled his “best” walk rate this past season, but it was still an unsatisfying 12.8% mark. Arias has racked up 152 walks over 211 2/3 professional innings. The struggles with walks make sense, given Arias was drafted as a shortstop and converted to pitching in 2021.
Toronto signed Arias as an international free agent in 2018. He was released before appearing with the team and latched on with the Cubs in 2021. Arias worked primarily as a starter through 2023, reaching High-A. He began the 2024 campaign as a reliever in Double-A. He recorded 24 innings with a solid 3.75 ERA at that level, then moved up to Triple-A. Arias scuffled to a 5.45 ERA over 33 appearances with Iowa. He walked 36 opposing hitters in 36 1/3 innings. Chicago DFAed Arias in January.
The infielder-turned-reliever is still only 24 years old. His relative lack of pitching experience suggests there’s still time to clean up the control problems. FanGraphs ranked Arias at 11th in the Cubs’ farm system at the end of the 2024 season. MLB.com had him at 14th in 2024. Arias’ strikeout numbers and three-pitch arsenal could allow him to function as an effective multi-inning reliever in the early Jonathan Loaisiga mold. He’ll have to take a big step forward in the command department to become a major-league asset, though.
Photo courtesy of Dave Nelson, Imagn Images
