Cleveland Baseball Insider

The Guardians Have A Gabriel Arias Dilema

Gabriel Arias had a double and home run against the White Sox as the Cleveland Guardians continue to look for consistent playing time for him.

Tommy Wild

The Guardians Have A Gabriel Arias Dilema
The Guardians Have A Gabriel Arias Dilema /
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Fans have been waiting for Gabriel Arias to take off at the Big League level for over a year now. That hasn't quite happened yet. 

He entered Chicago with underwhelming stats at the plate as he searches for stability.  Before the series, Arias received just 61 plate appearances in 2023 and had a batting average of .182, a wOBA of .245, and an SLG of .273. To make matters even worse, Arias had a K% of 42.6 percent and a 9.8 BB percent. 

Simply put, he was not seeing the ball at all and was still ultra-aggressive. 

These stats were shocking for everyone considering how Arias stole the show during Spring Training and looked to be ready for a breakout season with the Cleveland Guardians.

Instead, he's been limited to a bench role and playing sporadically at different positions. Arias has made appearances at third base, shortstop, first base, and right field so far this season.

Playing that many different positions puts a lot of pressure on a young player as a defender who is still developing, and at the time struggling, on offense. 

In the organization's defense, they have a number of young players such as Will Brennan, Tyler Freeman, and company who also need playing time and have produced more at the plate in their opportunities. 

In a turn of events, Arias got the start at first base on Thursday as the Guardians tried to avoid a sweep at the hands of the White Sox. He was also one of the main reasons that Cleveland didn't drop three straight to their division rival.

Arias went 2-for-4 in the series finale which included a solo home run off of left-handed ace Dylan Cease. Arias also doubled and came around to score on a Cam Gallagher base hit to give the Guardians a crucial insurance run. 

The dilemma here is Arias' inconsistency. One game he looks like the future of Cleveland's infield, and the next he's struggling to make contact at the plate.

Again, not all of this is Arias' fault. 

Not playing and seeing live pitching every day can't help a player improve and get better. The best thing for Arias is to either play more at the Big League level or be optioned down to Triple-A where he can get consistent at-bats every game. 

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Read More:

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Guardians Avoid Sweep, Beat White Sox 3-1

It's Time For The Guardians To Make A Change At Catcher

Different Lineup, Same Outcome As Guardians Drop Series To White Sox

WATCH: Steven Kwan Steals A Hit From Tim Anderson With Incredible Diving Catch

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Photo Credit © Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

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Tommy Wild
TOMMY WILD

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