The New York Yankees are flying high right now. They are first in the AL East, have a 34-20 record, and have an offense that’s making other teams cry. They lead the league in every aspect, from home runs to walks. OPS, and they are the top three in runs scored and RBIs. So, simply put, they are a championship-contending team.
But everyone knows even the best team in baseball cannot get complacent. So they have been poking around for some infield depth. One name that they seem to have approached was none other than Orlando Arcia. The former Atlanta Braves shortstop was just designated for assignment to make room for Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. (who also is making a stellar comeback).
The Yankees, apparently along with the Mets, according to Jon Heyman, offered Arcia a minor league deal. However, it turns out that he passed on it. And no, not for another contending team. Nope! Arcia instead went ahead and chose the Colorado Rockies. It’s a shocker that no one knew what was brewing behind the scenes.
Yankees and Mets both offered Arcia minor league opportunities before he got the MLB deal with Rockies https://t.co/rXbcaGGnFC
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) May 28, 2025
Arcia snubbed the best contending team to go to the Rockies, who are currently holding the worst record in the majors of 9-46. This number is not bad; this is historic-level bad. But the question is, why would he do this? Why would he go for a team with no shot at October? Well, for him, it can be all about opportunity. Afterall, his 2023 All-Star season now feels like a distant memory.
Through 14 games he has played this year, he has slashed just .194 and a .445 OPS. These numbers are not head-turning. So, he wouldn’t have cracked the code to get on the Yankee roster anytime soon, since Volpe and Rice are doing great as shortstop and DH. So in this situation, the Rockies gave him something that the Yankees could not—a big league contract.
The post Yankees Swallow Bitter Pill as 30YO Veteran Snubs Offers to Join MLB’s “Worst Ever” Franchise appeared first on EssentiallySports.
