The defensive-minded shortstop becomes an interesting option for the Mets.
Andrew Friedman continues to clean house in Los Angeles. To make room for free-agent signing Brett Anderson on the roster, the Dodgers designated shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena for assignment.
Last year, Ned Colletti shelled out $25 million over five years for the Cuban prospect, who will turn 25 before Opening Day. He underwhelmed offensively during his first year, hitting .259/.304/.417 through four different minor league levels. Yet it was never his bat that captivated anyone's attention. Even when he defected last February, Baseball America's Ben Badler described him as an offensively limited player whose "defense makes some scouts believe he can develop into a regular shortstop who hits at the bottom of the lineup."
Whenever someone who has ever taken grounders at short even potentially becomes available, he automatically gets linked to the Mets. Sandy Alderson has stood pat so far this winter, but is Arruebarrena's glove enough to entice the general manager into action?
Although his MLB experience is limited to 45 plate appearances, during which he hit .195/.244/.220 with 17 strikeouts, he's set to earn $22 million through 2018. While it's worth the money if he becomes Rey Ordonez 2.0, he certainly has a long way to go. Right now, he's not an immediate upgrade over Ruben Tejada or Wilmer Flores. Newsday's Cody Derespina labeled him "a long shot to wind up in Flushing."