The Philadelphia Phillies have added some depth within the infield.
As first reported by Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors, the Phillies have signed Christian Arroyo to a minor league deal which includes an invitation to camp as a non-roster invitee.
The former first-round pick and top 100 prospect has played all over the infield throughout his career including getting limited action in right field, but second base is primarily where he’s at his best on the defensive side of the ball.
Arroyo did not play at the MLB level in 2024 after signing a minor league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, posting a .237 batting average and .664 OPS with two home runs and 13 RBI in 30 games in Triple-A.
Prior to the Brewers, Arroyo had spent the previous three-and-a-half years with the Boston Red Sox after being designated for assignment by the Cleveland Guardians during the 2020 season.
From 2021-2023, he played in 210 games for the Red Sox slashing .264/.306/.411 with 15 home runs and 85 RBI.
Arroyo is being brought to Philadelphia likely to get more competition for a bench role, but if he shows flashes of the kind of player he was with Boston, he could do enough to earn a spot on the roster.
Drafted 25th overall by the San Francisco Giants in the first round of the 2013 MLB draft, Arroyo spent one season there in 2017 and also appeared in two for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Overall, his career has not lived up to what it looked like it could when Arroyo was making his way up the ranks, but he now gets another chance at redemption with his sixth professional organization.
