The Cubs announced Monday that they have designated the right-hander Michael Arias by share. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to another right-hander Colin Reahis previously reported one-year deal is now official.
Arias, 23, was designated to Chicago’s 40-man roster in the 2023-24 offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. The infielder-turned-reliever spent the 2024 season in the minors, posting a combined 4.77 ERA in 60 innings between Double-A and Triple-A. Arias has been more efficient in the former than the latter, posting a 3.75 ERA in Double-A but a 5.35 mark in Triple-A.
Command was a problem for Arias at both levels, as it has been since moving to the mound. The hard-throwing righty sits in the mid-90s with his sinker but has walked an awful 16.5% of opponents in his professional career — including 19.6% of opponents in 36 1/3 frames at Triple-A this past season.
Even with that notable flaw, Arias still sits 11th in FanGraphs’ latest ranking of the Cubs’ farm system. Eric Longenhagen and Travis Ice profiled the righty, suggesting a potential mix-and-match changeup, no-bat slider and ability to work multiple innings in relief. Arias’ zone issues — a FanGraphs report notes that Arias “hasn’t progressed to commanding 40 yards” yet — are prominent enough that the Cubs are free to trade him or expose him to waivers.
While the Cubs may feel they don’t have a spot for him on their 40-man roster, Arias is 23 years old with a 98 mph sinker, a pair of average or better secondaries, and two years of major league options remaining. . It seems likely that he will gain interest from another club, either through a small trade or waiver. The Cubs have five days to trade Arias. After that, you will need to be placed on waiver (48 hour process).
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