The New York Mets began their offseason on a sour note, suffering a major blow with the departure of franchise home run king Pete Alonso, who signed a five-year, $155 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles. Alonso’s exit left a massive void in the Mets’ lineup and marked the loss of one of the most productive power hitters in team history.
Reports indicate the Mets never formally presented Alonso with an offer to remain at Citi Field. Their only notable attempt so far to offset his offensive output has been the addition of former Seattle Mariners infielder Jorge Polanco, a solid but far less powerful bat. Polanco has required four additional seasons to record 110 fewer home runs than Alonso, and while his career bWAR of 20.7 is respectable, it still trails Alonso’s 23.3.
According to the New York Post, the Mets quietly made another roster move on Monday, signing an infielder whose arrival largely flew under the radar. The player, once a first-round draft pick by the San Francisco Giants and briefly the organization’s top prospect, is being brought in primarily to provide infield depth following Alonso’s departure rather than to headline the offseason.
That addition is Christian Arroyo, a 30-year-old veteran with seven seasons of major league experience. Arroyo has spent the past two years in Triple-A, playing in 2024 for the Nashville Sounds in the Brewers’ system and in 2025 with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate. His deal with the Mets is a minor league contract that includes an invitation to spring training, set to begin next month.
Arroyo showed signs of a bounce-back in 2025 after injuries once again limited his playing time the previous season to just 45 games. Despite the setbacks, he posted an impressive .869 OPS, the best mark of his career at any level where he appeared in at least 45 games. That performance rivaled his early professional success, dating back to his rookie-league debut with the Giants in 2013.
The most productive stretch of Arroyo’s career came during his four-year stint with the Boston Red Sox, where he served as a versatile utility player. He logged time at all four infield positions and even appeared in 17 games in right field. Despite battling a long list of injuries including calf, oblique, forearm, hamstring, and groin issues Arroyo delivered his strongest overall results in Boston.
From the shortened 2020 season onward, Arroyo produced 2.2 bWAR and a .716 OPS with the Red Sox, along with 18 home runs in 689 at-bats, all career highs relative to his other stops. He also played a meaningful role in Boston’s surprising 2021 postseason run, which saw the team win 92 games and advance to the AL Championship Series.
Arroyo’s playoff highlight came in the AL Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, where Boston prevailed 3–1. In that series, Arroyo went 5-for-16, added a double, and struck out only twice, helping fuel the Red Sox’s deep October push.
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