The New York Yankees made a quiet but notable roster move Friday that went largely unnoticed during their home opener. The Yankees raised their season-opening record to 6-1 by cruising to an 8-2 victory over the Miami Marlins.
But it was an even bigger day for 24-year-old Benjamin Arias, who signed a free agent minor league contract with the Yankees. The deal was revealed Friday in an under-the-radar announcement on the Yankees official transactions ledger. Arias finally found a new baseball home after the St. Louis Cardinals organization handed him his release last Sept. 8. The move didnât generate headlines â but it could quietly matter more than it first appears.
The Yankees will now attempt to unlock the potential in Arias that St. Louis could not. His release came more than six years after Arias signed as an international free agent with the Cardinals in 2019, out of the Dominican Republic. The right-handed pitcher signed at the age of 17, on Jan. 19, 2019.
Arias Strikes Imposing Figure on Mound
Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing in at a lean 195 pounds, Arias strikes an imposing figure on the mound. But despite his size, Arias has not been an overpowering pitcher, with only 296 strikeouts in 306 2/3 minor league innings, all of them at High-A and Single-A levels, as well as in the Rookie Leagues.
“In his 47.2 innings with the Palm Beach Cardinals in 2024 Ariasâ best pitch was his slider,” wrote J.P. Hoornstra of The Big Lead, in a report on the Yankees’ acquisition of Arias. “The pitch yielded a .119 opponentsâ expected Weighted On-Base Average. Not coincidentally, he threw the pitch 41.0 percent of the time â more than his 93-mph four-seamer (22.4 percent), sinker (20.3 percent) or changeup (16.3 percent).”
The Yankees likely see the signing of Arias as a low-risk move, but one that could pay off in a positive way if the organization’s pitching development program can help the young pitcher gain better command of the strike zone. His 1.321 WHIP is one of the factors that probably contributed to his release by the Cardinals.
Arias Kept Hard Hits to a Minimum
Playing in the Florida State League, some Statcast data is available for Arias. That league is the one Single-A circuit that keeps Statcast metrics for players in the league. But 2024 data is the most recent set available for Arias.
“Arias also limited hard contact as a 22-year-old, as evidenced by his 9 percent opponentsâ barrel rate,” Hoornstra wrote. “In July 2024, the Cardinals promoted Arias to Peoria.”
Other Statcast information shows Arias with a .283 weighted on-base average (wOBA), an all-around measure of offensive production, or how well a pitcher prevents opponents’ offense. His number placed him in the 74th percentile.
Arias’ strikeout rate, however, was another story at just 17.5 percent, leaving him near the bottom of the league in the 14th percentile.
“New York has had a lot of success helping pitchers develop velocity and more explosive breaking pitches in their farm system of late, with names like Cam Schlittler and Carlos Lagrange standing out as case studies,” wrote Newsweek baseball analyst Jackson Roberts, of the new Yankees’ pitching acquisition. “While that’s no guarantee Arias will experience a similar leap forward, it’s a sign that he’s probably in a good landing spot for someone who was previously let go.”
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