The Minnesota Twins designated infielder Orlando Arcia for assignment on Sunday as a corresponding move to selecting outfielder Kyler Fedko's contract. Somewhat surprisingly, Arcia cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A St. Paul, according to The Athletic's Dan Hayes. He's slated to report on Friday.
Over 50 plate appearances with Minnesota this season, Arcia slashed .271/.300/.354 (81 wRC+) with one home run and recorded innings at all four infield positions. Before his contract was selected on May 19 as a corresponding move to optioning infielder Royce Lewis to Triple-A St. Paul, Arcia hit .318/.376/.556 (137 wRC+) in 39 games with the Saints.
Will Arcia rejoin the Twins' big-league roster later this season?
Now that he's off the 40-man roster, it's unlikely that Arcia will rejoin the Twins' big-league roster anytime soon. Regardless, the Twins should be happy he cleared waivers. Arcia, a former World Series champion and All-Star with the Atlanta Braves, provides Minnesota with additional infield depth.
With Arcia off the 26-man roster, Ryan Kreidler and Tristan Gray are the Twins' primary shortstops. Gray has shown flashes of success, but Kreidler has been much better both offensively and defensively thus far in 2026. Kreidler and Gray, both journeymen, are likely just holding down shortstop until the Twins call up top shortstop prospect Kaelen Culpepper. However, Culpepper recently landed on the seven-day injured list with a left hip strain. If Kreidler or Gray suffers an injury while Culpepper is still sidelined, Minnesota may bring Arcia back to the majors.
However, if the Twins eventually want to bring Arcia back to the majors, the club would have to clear a 40-man roster spot, making Arcia's path back to the 26-man roster more difficult. If Arcia picks up where he left off with Triple-A St. Paul, and the Twins determine they don't need him, the former Brave could be dealt to a contending team in need of infield depth ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Arcia wasn't terrible in his short stint with the Twins, and his ability to play all four infield positions, veteran presence and strong Triple-A stats could make him attractive to some teams. Not that a team would acquire him with the idea that he would be a major game-changer, but a club may trade for him if it suffers multiple infield injuries and is in the thick of the playoff race.
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