Time for Guardians to Admit the Obvious About Struggling Slugger

Going into the 2025 MLB season, the Cleveland Guardians did not have a definitive answer at second base. They traded Andres Gimenez over the winter, and they didn't acquire anyone to replace him.

The Guardians were instead forced to roll with in-house options, and they decided to give Gabriel Arias another opportunity to prove himself.

Early on the, decision seemed to be paying dividends, as Arias enjoyed a tremendous first three weeks of the regular season as his OPS floated in the .800s and he smashed four home runs during that span.

Since then, however, Arias has spiraled. He has not hit a homer since April 16 as his OPS has plummeted to .668. He is slashing just .211/.291/.250 in May, and while he has been solid defensively at both second base and shortstop, his bat has become a major issue.

Cleveland sent shortstop Brayan Rocchio down to the minors for his brutal offensive production earlier this month, and now, James Mastrucci of Away Back Gone is urging the Guardians to do the same thing with Arias, who Mastrucci doesn't seem to want to see anymore, period.

"It's beyond clear that Gabriel Arias is not good enough and that this team will be far better off without him on the roster," Mastrucci wrote. "Hopefully, the decision-makers in Cleveland's front office recognize that and act accordingly so they can focus on other areas of the roster that need to be improved between now and the trade deadline to put together the best possible team for a playoff run."

It's not like this is Arias' first rodeo, either. He has gotten chances since 2022, and over 749 plate appearances since then, he has managed a measly .634 OPS. It may be time for the Guardians to simply admit that the 25-year-old is not a long-term answer.

In fact, right now, Daniel Schneemann seems to be a far better answer up the middle, although his output has slipped recently, as well.

Basically, Cleveland must address the middle of its infield between now and the trade deadline if it seriously wants to make another deep playoff run. Arias is not the solution, and it may only be a matter of time before the Guardians come to that realization.

Read More Cleveland Guardians Coverage