On Wednesday, the Cleveland Guardians made a difficult roster decision. They had made up their minds and called up top prospect Angel Genao, but they needed to make room for him.
The alternatives were either placing Jose Ramirez on the injured list with renewed soreness in his surgically repaired left wrist or designating infielder Gabriel Arias for assignment. J-Ram missed a couple of games this week with the ailment, but has already returned to the lineup and won’t need the extended rest at the moment.
As a result of this development, the Guardians opted to DFA Arias, who had been in the MLB picture with the Guardians since 2022. Designating someone for assignment results in the player’s removal from the 40-man roster and, since trades aren’t allowed anymore since the deadline passed, the player being placed on waivers.
Had Arias passed waivers, he could have been assigned to the Guardians’ minor league system without occupying a spot on the 40-man roster. That wasn’t the case, though, as a team took a chance on him.
“Mets claimed Gabriel Arias off waivers from the Guardians,” team insider Tim Stebbins said.
Mets claimed Gabriel Arias off waivers from the Guardians
— Tim Stebbins (@tim_stebbins) August 7, 2026
Not only did the Mets sweep the Guardians at home this week, but they also took away some of their organizational depth by claiming Arias and including him on their 40-man roster. New York is 50-66, last in the NL East, so they can afford to try some lottery tickets: the former Guardian certainly qualifies.
Arias boasts a career line of .219/.275/.359 in 1,168 plate appearances, with a 77 wRC+. Cleveland gave him every chance to establish himself in the majors and become an indispensable part of the roster, yet he failed every time. He is capable of hitting a 450-foot home run and going 0-for-32 over a prolonged stretch.
Arias’ main attributes are his strong defense and his versatility. He can cover multiple positions on the infield and makes for a solid utilityman, but the Guardians couldn’t carry him on the MLB roster anymore due to their depth. The Mets hope he can provide defensive cover, but the organization would also love to get something more out of him offensively.
He had an 85 wRC+ this year with the Guardians, below the league-average offensive threshold. He will get another chance with a rebuilding organization, marking the end of his time in Cleveland.
NEXT: Guardians Are Facing An Uphill Battle For MLB Postseason
