Cleveland Indians running away with Mike Clevinger trade

Gabriel Arias

The most highlighted prospect of the Clevinger trade and presumed shortstop of the future for the Cleveland Indians, Gabriel Arias could be the best player of this trade once everything is said and done. Barely 21-years old, Arias is currently the No. 5 prospect in the Tribe’s organization and is already up to Triple-A Columbus.

Due to the timing of the trade, this season is the first time that the minor league players from the deal have played a game as a member of the Cleveland Indians organization. In the case of Arias, the front office had him skip over Double-A. In 2019 with San Diego he only played as high as High-A, but he began the 2021 season with the Columbus Clippers.

While he hasn’t been spectacular yet, he also hasn’t fallen flat either. His slash line is a bit below what you would hope at .240/.367/.380 along with a double and two home runs over 15 games. The organization has also put him all over the infield, seeing time at second, third and shortstop. He only has two errors thus far, both coming at short.

Arias is also already on the 40-man roster, so a call-up would be easier if he turns a corner offensively. He has a steady glove and considering the struggles at short in Cleveland, it isn’t necessarily unlikely that he makes his debut at some point this season.