Mets sign former Red Sox infielder to minor league deal

The Mets have signed former Red Sox infielder Christian Arroyo to a minor league deal with a spring training invite.

Jun 20, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Boston Red Sox infielder Christian Arroyo (39) runs to second on a double while driving in two runs against the Minnesota Twins during the seventh inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images | Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

The New York Mets are adding to their infield depth.

On Monday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reported that the Mets had signed infielder Christian Arroyo to a minor league contract. The deal includes an invitation to major league spring training.

Mets have signed INF Christian Arroyo to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training.

— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) January 5, 2026

Arroyo, 30, is a career .252/.299/.394 hitter at the big league level. He has appeared in parts of seven MLB seasons, most recently with the Boston Red Sox in 2023. That year, he hit .241/.268/.369 with three home runs, 16 doubles and 24 RBIs in 66 games.

After spending all of 2024 in the Milwaukee Brewers’ system, Arroyo signed another minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies last February. The righty-hitting veteran appeared in 50 games, mostly with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and combined for a .301/.367/.457 slash line in 2025.

RBI machine Christian Arroyo#ironpigs #ironpigsbaseball pic.twitter.com/573BoHVaMw

— Lehigh Valley IronPigs (@IronPigs) April 6, 2025

Defensively, Arroyo brings experience at all four infield positions and in right field. He has spent most of his major league time at second base, accumulating +13 defensive runs saved over 1,332.2 innings. In Triple-A last season, 33 of his 50 starts came at first base, where he recorded a .996 fielding percentage. It was the most he has played the position in his professional career.

After losing longtime first baseman Pete Alonso in free agency, the Mets signed former All-Star Jorge Polanco to help fill the void. The versatile infielder will move around the diamond, but the plan is for him to primarily play first—a position he has manned for only one batter in the majors.

Read More: What Mets could do to add to their rotation

New York had limited experienced first-base depth behind Polanco, so the addition of Arroyo provides more insurance. The only other experienced first basemen on the Mets’ 40-man roster are Mark Vientos (112 MLB innings) and Jared Young (111 MLB innings).

As a non-roster invite, Arroyo is likely to begin the season with Triple-A Syracuse but will have a chance to compete for a utility bench role. Ronny Mauricio, Luisangel Acuña and Young are in the mix for the same job, while Polanco, Vientos and Brett Baty are expected to be lineup regulars alongside veteran middle infielders Francisco Lindor and Marcus Semien.

New York has reportedly shown a willingness to deal from its infield depth this offseason, so it is possible the group becomes less crowded by the end of spring training.

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