Guardians fans won't miss Gabriel Arias after Mets waiver claim, but he’s primed to impact 2027 playoffs

Three hundred and sixty-eight days ago, Gabriel Arias showed everyone at Citi Field just how talented he is. 

With the Guardians already leading 2-0, he dug into the batter’s box against Mets pitching Sean Manaea and slugged a cutter over the middle of the plate a Statcast-projected 440 feet to center field to pad Cleveland’s lead. 

While that was his only hit of the day, it was the perfect example of just how much talent is in Arias’ body, even if it’s not able to tap into it everyday. 

And now Mets fans will get a chance to ride that wave, as New York claimed Arias on waivers after the Guardians designated him for assignment earlier in the week. The Mets will need to add him to their big league roster once the claim goes through since he’s out of minor league options. 

Although this is a bit of a lost season in Queens (even though they just smoked the Guardians in a three-game series), adding Arias to the mix is a clear win.

Not only will they be able to give him everyday at-bats this season as they play out the string, they’ll also be able to have him on their roster next season when they are a (theoretical) contender. 

Gabriel Arias could reach new heights after Mets waiver claim

To be clear, it makes sense the Guardians finally cut bait with Arias since so much of his time with the Guardians was based around potential production and not his on-field output. 

Even if the DFA came at a time when he had quietly started to play well, Angel Genao’s time had come, which made Arias expendable. 

But even if he spent most of his time with the Guardians making everyone in Northeast Ohio want to rip their hair out, it makes sense that the Mets would take a chance on him. 

He hits the ball hard (as he showed last year), has a throwing arm in the 85th percentile and has played every position but catcher in his career. 

It’ll be interesting to see where the Mets choose to use him considering they have Francisco Lindor entrenched at short along with Marcus Semien at second and Bo Bichette at third. 

One option could be first base, which currently consists of Jared Young and Eric Wagaman. That may not be the best use of an arm, but it’s a clear way to get his bat in the lineup. 

The biggest flaw in Arias’ game is his eye-popping strikeout rate, which has been an eye-popping 42.5%. While strikeouts are an occupational hazard that come with putting Arias in your lineup, it’s going to be hard to stick anywhere if he’s striking out in almost half his at-bats. 

But this signing is all about next season as it is this one. If Arias is able to put it all together and be a competent player, then he’d be a great cheap option for the Mets to fill out their otherwise expensive lineup. 

The Mets may be 2026’s most disappointing team, but they’ve spent the past week building out their organization for a refreshed postseason run in 2027. And it looks like there’s a good chance that Mets team will have Arias and Lindor working together in the infield.

Imagine telling someone that to someone six years ago.

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