Brewers sign former Red Sox infielder who was DFA’d during 2023 season

There are only a few position players remaining in Boston from the Red Sox team that made an ALCS run in 2021.

Late in the 2023 season, Rafael Devers and Bobby Dalbec remained the last two players from that playoff team after the Red Sox DFA'd infielder Christian Arroyo. Boston acquired Luis Urías at the trade deadline, and upon his activation on Aug. 4, Arroyo was outrighted to Triple-A.

On Jan. 25, the Milwaukee Brewers signed Arroyo to a minor-league deal, per MLB. com's Adam McCalvy and FanSided's own Robert Murray.

Arroyo made his MLB debut in 2017 with the San Francisco Giants, the team that drafted him five years prior. Since his debut, Arroyo has played in Tampa Bay, Cleveland and Boston, and most of his major-league experience is with the Red Sox.

Brewers sign former Red Sox INF Christian Arroyo to minor-league deal

Boston claimed Arroyo off waivers in Aug. 2020 after he was DFA'd by the Guardians. The infielder was an average player for the Red Sox, mostly used as a utility infielder or a backup when others needed a day off, spending most of his time at second base, especially during Trevor Story's absence in 2022.

Arroyo never wielded a standout bat and he's been a below-average hitter for most of his career. He's a career .252 hitter without much power — he's hit just 24 home runs in his 917 career at-bats. But in 2022, Arroyo had a good year at the plate for the Sox, slashing .286/.322/.414.

The infielder's most notable stretch with the Sox was during the 2021 ALCS run. In eight games, Arroyo batted .300 with an .800 OPS. That year, Arroyo recorded 43 hits all season — he logged nine, including a three-run homer, during his playoff tear.

The Brewers' agreement with Arroyo is for one year and he will be at Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. If the 28-year-old makes the Opening Day roster, he'll be owed $1.5 million with $500K in potential bonuses during the season.

Milwaukee has much young talent in its infield so far and Arroyo has more major league experience than many of those on the roster. There's a chance that the he could find himself on the major league roster in a bench role.

Arroyo's defensive versatility makes him a reliable pickup for the Brewers' infield, and his level of experience is high for not being an everyday player. Though Milwaukee has a few second basemen on the roster, Arroyo could slot in at third or short and offer solid contributions to the team.

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