Arizona Diamondbacks Sign Joaquin Arias

The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed veteran utility infielder Joaquin Arias

In a move designed to boost some infield depth, the Arizona Diamondbacks have signed utility infielder Joaquin Arias to a Minor League contract. The 31-year old Arias will also be invited to Spring Training. The news was first reported by CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman via mlbtraderumors.com. The eight-year veteran spent the last four seasons with the San Francisco Giants, earning a pair of World Series rings.

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Arias was signed as an amateur free agent by the New York Yankees in 2001. He was the player-to-be-named later in the deal that sent Alex Rodriguez to the Yankees and Alfonso Soriano to the Texas Rangers in 2004. He made his Major League debut with the Rangers on September 13th, 2006. Arias was dealt to the New York Mets during the 2010 season and received 33 plate appearances with New York. After spending all of 2011 in the Kansas City Royals’ organization, he hooked on with San Francisco in December of that year. The right-handed hitter received 344 plate appearances, a personal best, in 2012 and hit .270 for the World Champion Giants. In 12 career playoff at-bats, Arias owns five hits and has scored five runs.

D-backs, Leake not happening?

After splurging on their starting rotation over the last two weeks, it appears Arizona is out of the running for free agent right-hander Mike Leake. According to Jamal Collier at mlb.com, the D-backs are “unlikely” to sign Leake, an Arizona State graduate, according to Chief Baseball Officer Tony LaRussa:

"It’s gone back and forth,” La Russa told FOX Sports. “Getting Shelby [Miller] gives us a [full] rotation. I think it’s difficult because when somebody wants to pitch for you and you really like the person, you want to try and work it out. But it’s complicated and probably unlikely."

Leake has stated he would take a lot less money to pitch for Arizona. He owns a lifetime record of 64-52 with an ERA of 3.88 ERA.

Next: Arizona Diamondbacks: Socrates Brito to the Rescue

Chacin moves on

Another D-back finds a home with the Atlanta Braves according to Heyman and mlbtraderumors. Right-handed pitcher Jhoulys Chacin signed a Minor League contract in the hopes of finding a spot in Atlanta’s rotation. The 27-year old Chacin posted a 3.38 ERA over 26 2/3 innings in a September call-up. He was 7-6 with a 3.20 ERA in 20 starts for Triple A Reno. Chacin was 14-10 in 2013 for the Colorado Rockies before slumpoing badly the following season. The D-backs decided not to offer him arbitration in which he could have earned $1.8 million dollars.

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