The Rays have designated outfielder Oswaldo Arcia for assignment, per Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times (links to Twitter). Arcia’s DFA stems from the fact that the Rays simply didn’t feel they had room for the out-of-options slugger on the 25-man roster upon activating him from the disabled list.
Tampa Bay claimed the 25-year-old Arcia off waivers from the Twins earlier this season after Minnesota designated the former top prospect for assignment. He appeared in 21 games with the Rays, tallying 61 plate appearances and batting .259/.328/.444 with a pair of home runs, two doubles and a triple. Arcia was once one of the more promising minor league outfielders in all of baseball, ranking comfortably within the league’s top 100 prospects by most measures prior to the 2013 season. He made his big league debut with Minnesota at the age of 21 that season and went on to hit .241/.302/.441 with 34 homers in 788 plate appearances over the next two seasons, showing plenty of promise in the power department. However, he’s a poor defender both by defensive metrics and by the eye test due to his limited range, and he’s struck out in nearly 32 percent of his Major League plate appearances.
Arcia’s pop may intrigue a club in search of some power to add to its bench, and he could be of appeal to a rebuilding club with a dearth of corner outfield/DH options that feels it has room to carry him on its 25-man roster, but a great deal of his prospect sheen has worn off over the past two years.
Marlins?
He would be good on the Marlins
Padres?
Pirates love guys like him
They do, and I would be interested in the Bucs grabbing him. Whether they feel they have a need for him, I don’t know.
The Pirates already have (what I consider) the best OF in baseball already. Do they need a better fourth than they have? And would Arcia be a better backup than the Pirates have?
Low-OBP, high-K outfielders who don’t have great range? Since when?
The Brewers should pick him up to be with his brother, Orlando.
WHITE SOX SCREW GARCIA
Arcia seems to be the exact same guy as Garcia, Cept for the G. Poor defender, DH type. Once promising. Power potential. One year older. Same player.
He’s been solid for Tampa- surprised they cut bait. I still see him as a legitimate power threat down the line. Like a 7 hole type guy.
Padres
Where would the Padres play him though? Jabari Blash is essentially in the same situation w/ similar peripherals, high K rate, feast or famine type hitter with average defensive skills.
However there is a week left until September when the Rosters expand so maybe they acquire him & just carry an extra outfielder for a week until they can call up other reinforcements. They could blend him w/ the current group (Dickerson, Jankowski, Blash & Bethancourt) give him an audition to possibly make the team in ’17.
Since the Phil’s have a bit of right field trouble , even tho Aaron Allther is semi-hot, But a cheap-ish left handed Power Bat isn’t all that bad they can experiment him at 1st also