The Cincinnati Reds have signed veteran big league infielder Orlando Arcia to a minor league contract. The 32-year-old from Venezuela has played in parts of the last 11 seasons in Major League Baseball. In 2026 he spent time with the Minnesota Twins in both the big leagues and in Triple-A.
Orlando Arcia began the year in Triple-A with the St. Paul Saints after he didn’t make the Twins out of spring training. He held his own in Triple-A for that first month, posting a .750 OPS. He then caught fire in May and was hitting .426/.466/.796 in the first 13 games of the month before he was called up by Minnesota. In his first five games with the Twins he went 8-15. But for the next three weeks he went 5-33 (.152) and was then designated for assignment. He cleared waivers and was outrighted to St. Paul. He picked up where he left off with the Saints through the end of June, hitting .353 with just one strikeout in nine games.
July, though, was a tough one. In 15 games over the first three weeks of the month he hit just .143/.197/.286 before he was released. Arcia then signed with Diablos Tojos in the Mexican League, but only played in three games before he was granted free agency to sign with the Reds.
Now under contract with Cincinnati he’s been assigned to Triple-A Louisville where he’s expected to join the Bats.
For his big league career, Orlando Arcia has hit .240/.292/.369. He made the All-Star team back in 2023 when he was with Atlanta. That season he hit .264/.321/.420 with a career highs in doubles (25), home runs (17), runs scored (66), slugging percentage (.420), and RBI (65).
The infielder can play shortstop, second base, third base, and first base. He’s spent some limited time in the outfield, too, but you have to go back to the 2022 season for the last time he appeared in a game as an outfielder.
They are trying to win 78 games instead of losing 90.
I know I’ll be on the edge of my seat every game. (Sarcasm)
Game plan already in effect, sign a handful of mediocre players hoping that one will have a career year. They’re just getting an early jump to the offseason with more
Fodder. This front office is beyond tiring.
It’s shuffle the deck on the titanic time as the season is essentially over. Boo to the same bull poo. I guess the gm didn’t trade a mid prospect for him, so there’s that I guess.
Does this signal even less faith in Arroyo or just insurance in case of injuries?
This is the Reds. Signing players no other team wants and believe they are actually doing something. It should be embarrassing.
LOL at comments above. He signed MiLB contract. Good to have MLB veteran depth at AAA.
Good for what exactly? You can say it’s a nothing burger as stated above but good?
If they don’t expect to play him in the bigs then what “good” does a player his age do in AAA?
Good. To. Have. MLB. Veteran. Depth. At. AAA.
If an MLB player gets injured, he can fill in for a few weeks.
(Clipped from SI article on MSN)
The Cincinnati Reds added some veteran infield depth to the organization on Tuesday, signing Orlando Arcia and assigning him to Triple-A Louisville.
Arcia, who has 11 seasons of Major League experience, has spent this season in the Minnesota Twins organization. The 32-year-old has put together a solid year at the Triple-A level, slashing .282/.336/.498 with 27 extra-base hits.
He did appear in 19 games with Minnesota and slashed .271/.300/.354, but had just two extra-base hits and the Twins ultimately designated him for assignment.
The veteran infielder has appeared in more than 1,000 games during his big-league career, posting a .240/.292/.369 slash line with 91 home runs.
Arcia’s best offensive season came with the Atlanta Braves in 2023, when he slashed .264/.321/.420 with 42 extra-base hits and was named to the National League All-Star team.
Organizations always need depth and the Reds don’t have much infield depth at Triple-A Louisville. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Arcia get a shot with Cincinnati before the end of the season.
A triple A team is supposed to help feed the big league team for every franchise except the Reds. Here they call it “veteran depth”. Some of you are still falling for their ridiculousness.
He would be a decent INF replacement for the Reds if needed.
Atta boy… Arcia was a Reds killer when on his prime…another utility guy, not bad for triple-A…
Kind of wondering if we may see Elly DH’ing for a while longer and this is insurance against any more injuries to the infield.
Yes, position player depth. Signing guys like this prevents premature exposure of young prospects to being put on the 40 man, and then outrighted when the numbers of players changes.
At some time this fall, all the injured players that are on the 60 man IL, will have to be put back on the 40 man (ie, Spencer Steer, Graham Ashcraft, Ke’Bryan Hayes, etc…..probably even Hunter Greene), and then marginal players will have to be outrighted. I think that’s when TJ Friedl will be non-tendered.
Bringing up regarded prospects creates a real problem when the 40 man numbers crunch arrives.
I know people hate on Nick Krall when the Reds do stuff like this, but it is just a policy to not lose actually valuable young players being put on the 40 man and then risk losing them. If Elly’s injury gets worse and he has to go on the IL (which is possible), the Reds will need someone to play infield. That’s all this is.
Lots of talk about his offense…none about his defense (data?). If he’s good at defense he can help younger players in the system, including Arroyo if he goes back down. There’s more to these ‘nothing’ burgers than just trying to catch lightening in a bottle.
FIRE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS!!!!!!