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Countdown to Arizona Diamondbacks Opening Day: D-46, Oswaldo Arcia

We turn the spotlight on a well-traveled outfielder, who played in four of baseball’s six divisions last year.

By Jim McLennan
MLB: San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

We asked you to rank the 40-man roster along with the 16 non-roster invitees to spring training, and every day between now and the eve of Opening Day, we’ll have a profile of one of those Diamondbacks.

D minus 46: Oswaldo Arcia

  • Date of birth: May 9, 1991
  • Ht/Wt: 6’0”, 225 lbs
  • Position: Outfielder
  • Status: Non-roster invitee
  • Bats/Throws: L/R
  • 2016 MLB numbers: .203/.270/.366, in 69 games (222 PA) with Twins, Rays, Padres and Marlins
  • SnakePit Rating: 3.17 [pattern of votes below]

Arcia was originally signed by the Twins out of Venezuela in 2007, and stayed with them through June of this year. But then began a whirlwind tour which saw him part of five organizations in less than seven months, ending when he signed with the D-backs four days before Christmas. Initially, Minnesota DFA’d him, but were able to work out a trade with Tampa, for cash or a player to be named. Less than two months later, the Rays DFA’d him as well, with Arcia going to the other Florida MLB team, in Miami. He spent precisely four days there, before he was again selected off waivers by the Padres; he was able to finish the season in San Diego, before they released him.

The older brother of highly-rated Brewers’ shortstop, Orlando Arcia, the 25-year-old Oswaldo has accumulated 288 major-league appearances, since debuting with Minnesota in 2013. His OPS+ of 97 is mostly the result of decent power, which peaked with a 20-homer season in 2014, over only 410 PA. All told, he has averaged a homer every 24.4 PA, but a low batting average (.235) and below-average walk rate has limited his offensive value. He also is a huge swing-and-miss guy. Since his debut, Arcia is ranked 296th of 297 for contact, missing the ball entirely virtually one time in three, with a contact percentage of 66.9%, which is ahead of just the hacktastic Chris Carter.

The defensive metrics are unimpressed as well, so it appears his main value to the Diamondbacks in 2017, would be as a left-handed slugger off the bench. 38 of his 44 home-runs have come against right-handed pitching, amd his .771 OPS there is decent enough. But can that translate into production in spot at-bats? For Arcia does not have much experience there, with 25 career PAs as a pinch-hitter, and those resulting in a mere two hits. But when he hits the ball, it can go a long way...

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