The Diamondbacks have released infielder Joaquin Arias, as per the club’s official Twitter feed. The veteran had been in Arizona’s camp on a minor league contract.
Arias had appeared in parts of eight MLB seasons since 2006, with the majority of his action coming in the form of 321 games played with the Giants from 2012-14. Arias played primarily at third base in San Francisco but also saw significant time at second and short. While he didn’t hit much (a .644 OPS in 784 PA) during that stint, Arias was a valuable utility piece for the Giants and he earned two World Series rings along the way. He only appeared in 40 games for the club in 2015 and was outrighted off the 40-man roster in August.
The Diamondbacks’ crowded infield situation made it difficult for Arias to find a job. Jean Segura, Chris Owings and Jake Lamb are slated to start with Nick Ahmed, Brandon Drury and Phil Gosselin all in the mix for backup roles, leaving Arias with no room.
Is it clear that Owings is a starter? Some sites have him starting others do not.
I don’t think that’s been determined yet. I’d personally like to see Drury at second and Segura at shortstop, though Gosselin has been nothing short of tremendous this spring.
No. Seems conventional wisdom is the opposite. Ahmed starting @ SS and Segura @ 2nd w/ Owings coming off the bench.
Bill Smith is correct.
giants ought to resign arias to a minor league contract for depth if adrianza doesn’t work out as planned,
They should, and if they don’t, someone else should. He’s now great shakes as a hitter, but I seem to remember him having a few clutch hits over the years, plus he’s pretty versatile.