It's time for the Cleveland Guardians to move on from Gabriel Arias
Gabriel Arias continues to waste opportunities given to him, and it's time the Cleveland Guardians consider other solutions to help fix the bottom half of the lineup.
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Gabriel Arias has one of the longest prospect leashes we've seen in quite some time. Part of that is born from the Cleveland Guardians' desire to not be burned once again by giving up on a prospect too soon.
Another part comes from Arias' tantalizing power potential, along with his ability to essentially play anywhere.
But what exactly is Arias doing well this season to warrant a continued presence on the active roster, aside from just being a right-handed bat? What does having a right-handed bat in the lineup matter if that bat isn't doing anything?
To this point, Arias is hitting just .240/.260/.360 with one home run and 25 strikeouts in 77 plate appearances. He is once again struggling at the plate, striking out ten times in his last 16 at-bats. There are plenty of people out there who will point to his "lack" of playing time, but when has that stopped a guy like David Fry from producing when given a chance?
Nobody in Major League Baseball is just awarded playing time - you have to earn it. What has Gabriel Arias done to convince manager Stephen Vogt to put him in the lineup more than when it's an absolute necessity? We're talking nearly 500 plate appearances into his major-league career; at some point, Arias would have to show something - anything - to convince people he's a viable long-term answer somewhere on the field. A random home run sandwiched between a deluge of strikeouts - and not much else - isn't going to cut it.
Speaking of being on the field, Arias' brutal error cost the Guardians two runs Friday night, only adding to everyone's collective frustration.
Nobody is saying a guy like Daniel Schneemann is the answer, but eventually, it would be worth seeing what he can offer, even if the Guardians have to find a creative way to get him on the 40-man roster. Or, you know, Cleveland could make things really easy and simply call up Johnathan Rodríguez, a right-handed outfield bat who has certainly shown he deserves a look at the next level (and would you look at that, he's already on the 40-man, too)
The bottom half of the lineup continues to be a huge problem for the Guardians, and Gabriel Arias is a part of that. It just doesn't look like he's ever going to be part of the solution to fix it, either.