The Dodgers have signed infielder Jonathan Arauz to a minor league deal, according to his player page on MLB.com. The specifics of the deal aren’t clear, but it’s likely the contract comes with an invite to big league Spring Training.
Arauz, 25, signed with the Phillies out of Panama prior to the 2015 season before being swapped to the Astros as the return in the Ken Giles deal the following season. Arauz spent three seasons in Houston’s farm system, ultimately advancing to Double-A before the Red Sox selected him in the 2019 Rule 5 Draft. Arauz stuck on the big league roster in Boston throughout the entirety of the shortened 2020 season, during which he posted a .250/.325/.319 slash line (77 wRC+) in 80 trips to the plate across 25 games where he primarily played second base.
With Arauz now a permanent member of the Red Sox organization, the club shuttled him from Triple-A to the majors as infield depth in 2021, where he more or less replicated his 2020 season with a 71 wRC+ in 75 trips to the plate across 28 games. While Arauz started the 2022 campaign with the Red Sox, he was designated for assignment and claimed on waivers by the Orioles in June of that year. Arauz spent most of his time in Baltimore on the restricted list and was outrighted by the Orioles late in the year and ended the season with just five hits and a walk in 41 plate appearances spread across 15 games.
That offseason, Arauz changed uniforms through a familiar process after being selected in the second phase of the 2022 Rule 5 draft by the Mets, which added Arauz to the organization without any sort of restrictions. While he hit a respectable .239/.340/.415 in 100 games at the Triple-A level in 2023, the infielder’s time with the big league Mets was less productive as he slashed just .136/.203/.388 in 66 trips to the plate. In joining the Dodgers, Arauz is now on to his fourth team in three years and appears likely to act as minor league depth for L.A. backing up an infield group that includes Max Muncy, Gavin Lux, Miguel Rojas, and Mookie Betts at the big league level with youngsters like Miguel Vargas and Michael Busch hoping to break into a regular role in the majors.
how much of the minor league contract is deferred ?
17 years/$17M…$16.5 deferred until 3020 when we are all working in the salt mines of planet zirabium prime.
But the zirabiumites will have automated salt mining by then.
Arauz actually was the starting Mets 3B for the 2nd Half of 2023 after Baty was demoted to AAA for bombing defensively and offensively. He has a great glove but can’t hit at all. My two cents lol
Your two cents will be worth less if you wait so spend it now. Everyone who has seen him play knows he wears the same glove at bat as in the field … too bad.
I watch the Mets so I am familiar with Arauz from last year.
What is very concerning to me but not apparently to the Mets FO is they have no 3B. Baty & Vientos were tried there last year and neither are good 3B and neither hit enough either. I am aware that they signed Wendle but he is a back up guy.
The Mets have a $ 300 MM payroll and a roster that is looking like Swiss Cheese. Not enough to fill out a playable team.
Rebrock, have patience. You know Cohen will spend but he’s also warned 24 will not be like his first years. I know Arauz from his days in Boston and was never a long term answer for NY. Wait and see what happens with Chapman. If he doesn’t get a long term offer, he might take a pillow one year deal to bet on himself for free agency again after 24. If not with the Mets, I’d love for Boston to sign him, move Devers to DH and trade either Yoshida or Duran.
Baty is still not far from draft day and has shown he can eat up the minors. He’s a kid and still needs time, which Cohen is committed to. Hojo needed time and wasn’t a good defensive player, but became good enough to play it daily with low expectations and became a solid offensive player. Time. Give them time.
So you’re complaining that the Mets didn’t keep Arauz?? And according to Baseball Reference, he played 15 games at third last season for a total of 93 innings, so it doesn’t sound like he was their third baseman for the second half of the season.
Padam,
Baty has holes in his batting which has been picked up around the league and thus the drop off with 2nd Half Splits.
He also cannot hit LHP. Not enough power too high a ground ball ratio. His defense is very bad 10 errors in 100 Games no bueno.
Arauz was the Mets best fielding 3B last year but he can’t hit.
Brett Baty and Mark Vientos are bad there.
The fact remains that he played 15 games at 3B for a total of 93 innings for NY last season.
Exactly why I suggested a pillow one year deal for Chapman should he not get a long term deal he’s hoping for
I saw him on the Red Sox. I can concur. The guy can’t hit.
Another steal for the Dodgers. 162-0!
Come on man, you got to be realistic. 159-3 probably
He’s insurance to take over for Mookie for when Mr. Betts gets a bowling sponsorship deal and is then required to go on a local bowling alley league tour throughout North America.
He is a damn good bowler lol. Nashville legend too, I’ll never forget going to watch bowl in a tournament and seeing Mookie a few lanes down. He is a class act as well. He was kind enough to take a picture with me, I’ll always root for that guy no matter who he plays for.
More, it’s nice to know Mookie has a pleasant personality out of baseball. Unfortunately, I’m of the belief that he said all the right words but never intended to re-sign in Boston regardless of what they offered. While I try to remain objective, with Mookie it’s not easy.
I can understand your position and reasoning.
Sometimes a good person can be in a difficult position. I’m not sure how I would handle what he handled with Boston.
With a first round exit
Are we allowed to sign this guy?
Buncha chumps
Comment sections getting to ya, huh?
When the Dodgers win 4 straight World Series you’re gonna be the first guy on here goin “I’m not watching baseball anymore” ahahaha
What may be needed in MLB is a requirement like other leagues have. In this case, limit U.S. teams to signing two Asian born players…
I won’t be on here, but I will be pretty surprised if they win 4 straight lol
Los Karens don’t stop
How does this nickname you’ve been trying to pass off as funny make any sense?
It makes as much sense as making the same inane joke over and over again and hoping it lands. Great way to spend one’s life.
Very much so I’ve seen this dude post the same thing over and over without offering any context behind it. Or more importantly jumping on his team for not doing enough
What if Rocker49 was the Karen all along?
We know that we are officially in a “media rights bubble” when the Dodgers can pay a guy $700, or $70 million a year to be a designated hitter. Yes, he will pitch again, but that’s a lot of money for a man who has never tasted, or been tested in Playoff baseball.
Seems like the Dodgers have now become more diversified regarding media rights. They have now seeded their product into a different media rights arena in Japan. $700 million didn’t just buy Ohtani, it bought the fandom of an entire country and its prodginy to come.
Your team would have spent the same amount, He just didn’t want to play for losers.
@moonpie
Fandom of an entire country – Japan – was already focused on Ohtani in MLB, and LA area for his entire big league history to this point. Nothing new there.
And nothing new that Ohtani likes the west coast. And just to be equitable in who you call losers….the Dodgers, despite their roster and payroll, are perennial, full season playoff choke artists. Now they’re spending over a billion dollars on two players…I can argue these are acts of desperation.
The Dodgers are not actually playing anyone $700M or $70M a year, they are actually paying $46M a year or $460M. Still a lot, obviously, but not the number that has generated so many headlines.
Thank you blueskies for bringing reality into this mess
Somebody’s got to do it. 🙂
I can’t believe this guy is only 25. Feels like this guy has been a utility player for about 10 years.
9 years
I’m talking about time in the majors.
He was on the restricted list? This usually means a player did something b-a-d. How about filling us in on that?
Also, if he doesn’t make the 40-man out of spring training he’s likely returning to free agency. This is what invitations to spring training usually mean. So a depth long shot, at best.
Darn you Dodgers! Another one that you’ve swiped away from the Mets!!!
Watched him in triple-A a few years ago. Made the most casual looking drop for a error I’ve ever seen!