Ex-Guardians Infielder Cut by New Team After Two Games

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CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 05: Gabriel Arias #13 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrates his three-run home run during the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field on July 05, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

Ex-Guardians infielder Gabriel Arias’ career is back in DFA limbo after a short stint with the New York Mets. Arias was designated for assignment by New York to make room for infielder Christopher Morel.

Cleveland designated Arias for assignment on August 5 to make room for top infield prospect Angel Genao’s promotion. The Mets claimed the former Guardians infielder on waivers.

Arias’ tenure with the Mets just lasted two games. In five plate appearances with New York, he went 0-for-5 with one strikeout.

Like the Guardians tried to do earlier this month, the Mets will try to pass Arias through outright waivers. It’s unclear if he’ll accept an assignment or choose free agency with six weeks left in the 2026 season.

Recapping Gabriel Arias’ Tenure With the Guardians

GettyGuardians infielder Gabriel Arias is back in DFA limbo after a short stint with the Mets. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

At one point, Gabriel Arias was viewed as a future piece on the Guardians. He was listed as a Top 100 prospect before his debut season of 2022. However, his bat never got consistent enough to stick in the infield.

In 362 games and 1,168 plate appearances with the Guardians, Arias held a .219/.275/.359 slash. FanGraphs estimates his offense to be 23% below the average player, with a 77 wRC+ over that time.

The strikeout rate was a clear issue, as he punched out in 34% of his plate appearances in Cleveland. Plate discipline was an issue, with a high chase rate, but he also struggled to make contact on pitches inside the strike zone.

The emergence of former No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana at second base and Bryan Rocchio at shortstop squeezed Arias off the roster. With him out of options, the Guardians had to DFA him and risk him to waivers.

While the Guardians could have outrighted him to the minors, he had the option to refuse an assignment. Arias crossed the three-year service threshold earlier this season. Had he rejected the assignment, he would have forfeited the remainder of his $820K salary.