The Dodgers have released Jonathan Araúz, according to the infielder’s player page on MLB.com. The 25-year-old spent the first three months of the season playing around the infield for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Baseball Club.
Arauz signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers last December, after electing free agency at the end of the 2023 campaign. He spent the previous season in the Mets organization, playing in 100 games for the Triple-A Syracuse Mets and 27 contests for the big league squad. However, he was outrighted at the end of the season and chose to seek a new opportunity with another team.
Signed by the Phillies as an international free agent in 2014, Arauz made his professional debut in Philadelphia’s system at just 16 years old. Not long after, he was traded to the Astros as part of the Ken Giles deal. The infielder then spent four years in Houston’s minor league system until the Red Sox took him in the Rule 5 Draft ahead of the 2020 season.
Arauz appeared in the majors every year from 2020-23, first with the Red Sox and then the Orioles and Mets. He has played a total of 95 MLB games, slashing .184/.253/.308 across 262 PA. He has never graded out as a particularly effective fielder or baserunner either, but he provides value with his versatility; he can hold his own at second base, third base, and shortstop. The Dodgers, who appreciate positional flexibility, had some questions about their infield picture entering the season, so Arauz made good sense as a minor league depth signing. However, he has hit especially poorly at Triple-A, slashing .227/.286/.324 with a 51 wRC+. With several other infielders playing significantly better for Oklahoma City, Arauz became the odd man out.
Arauz is now free to search for his next professional opportunity. Not yet 26 years old, he should be able to find another club in need of a versatile infielder with big league experience.
I had no idea this guy was on the roster.
max – I’m just glad the Red Sox already have plenty of infielders. I never want to see Arauz in a Sox uniform again.
For sure Fever. The immortal jerry remy loved this guy, or at least trying to pronounce his name.
WOW!!!! Exciting news!
They may win the West with this line up, but no way will they seriously challenge with it when they play quality teams in the playoffs.
Whatever shine that was on Heyward last season, has come off this year. Move Teoscar Hernandez to RF and give Vargas a runway in LF for the next few weeks before the trade deadline.
Enrique is a bench player who will go back to the bench when Muncy returns. Biggio is a DFA candidate……I still don’t know what to make of Lux.
And what is Lux’s trade value now?
Hayward has a .211 babip this year. Once that corrects itself, he’ll be right on pace with last year, and he’s still a solid defender in right. Probably on a 2-3 fWAR pace, and one of the better personalities in the game. And he’s Freemans best friend.