Joaquin Arias Stats & Scouting Report

AB	1052
AVG	.265
OBP	.293
SLG	.35
HR	7

Full name Joaquin Arias
Born 09/21/1984 in Santo Domingo Centro, Dominican Republic
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Debut 09/13/2006

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Arias had made steady progress since the Rangers acquired him from the Yankees in the 2004 Alex Rodriguez trade, but he was derailed by a shoulder injury in 2007. He played in just five games before season-ending arthroscopic surgery late that summer. Scar tissue in his shoulder continued to affect his range of motion in 2008, relegating him to second base for much of the season. Still, he had a solid bounce-back season in Triple-A and filled in nicely for an injured Ian Kinsler for the final six weeks of the big league season. Arias has a knack for putting the bat on the ball and spraying it around the field, but he never has grown into as much power as the Rangers hoped. He's an aggressive hitter who still strikes out far more than he walks, but he demonstrated improved patience during his stint in the majors. An excellent athlete with a wiry frame, Arias is a plus-plus runner but hasn't shown the instincts to be a true basestealing threat. He has a chance to be a standout defender in the middle of the field, particularly if he can regain his once-outstanding arm strength. It started to return in the fall and Texas hoped to see him play shortstop in the Dominican League over the winter, but he appeared in just one game. Assuming his shoulder is at full strength, Arias should spend 2009 in a utility role at the major league level. Just 24, he still has a shot to become a solid everyday player someday, but that opportunity might not come with the Rangers.
Arias had advanced steadily through the Rangers system since being acquired from the Yankees in the 2004 Alex Rodriguez trade, but 2007 proved to be a lost season for him. With Michael Young entrenched at shortstop in the big leagues, Texas tried Arias out in center field during spring training, but he developed shoulder soreness trying to make outfield throws and was sidelined until late June. After a brief comeback attempt, Arias had arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder and was shut down for the season. He did not have any structural damage, however, and should be ready to compete for a utility job in the majors in spring training. When healthy, Arias is a plus-plus runner with good range and excellent arm strength at shortstop. He has an aggressive, line-drive approach at the plate but needs to improve his selectivity. He's shown little or no power over the course of his minor league career, posting a slugging percentage above .400 only once. Arias has a thin, fragile frame, and some in the organization questioned his toughness in 2007. He'll need to increase his defensive versatility if he's to have any value to the Rangers. As a gifted athlete with multiple standout tools, Arias could still emerge as a valuable everyday shortstop, but it seems unlikely that will happen with the Rangers.
The player to be named in the 2004 Alex Rodriguez trade with the Yankees, Arias failed to hit .300 for the first time in the Rangers system in 2006. He got off to his customary slow start, and though he rebounded his performance might have been hindered by a twisted ankle that he played through for a month. Arias always has stood out for his athleticism. His plus range and plus-plus arm allow him to make sensational plays at shortstop, and he's starting to become a more consistent defender as well. Arias has quick hands and consistently puts the bat on the ball. Though Arias flashes power in batting practice, he has yet to translate it into game action. He has an aggressive approach at the plate and the Rangers would like him to improve his selectivity. He still needs to add strength and improve his durability. For all his plus-plus speed, he has succeeded in just 68 percent of his pro steal attempts. Arias will repeat a level for the first time in his career in 2007, as the Rangers will be patient while he fills out his frame and refines his game.
Signed out of the Dominican for $300,000, Arias was the player to be named in the February 2004 Alex Rodriguez trade with the Yankees. The Rangers chose him from a list of five prospects that also included Robinson Cano. Typically a slow starter, Arias batted .197 last April before making adjustments and hitting .341 the rest of the way. Like Devon White, Arias is a graceful strider who doesn't look like he's burning, but he's a plus-plus runner who can reach first base in four seconds flat from the right side. His well-above-average arm and above-average range at shortstop allow him to make difficult plays look easy. He has quick, whippy hands and wrists with a good feel for the bat head, letting him control the outer half of the plate. Arias needs to fill out his wiry frame and continue to refine his game. He still can be spastic in the field and butcher routine plays, though his error totals should decrease as he gains experience. He made adjustments after struggling with inside fastballs early in 2005, but he still shows more raw power in batting practice than in games, and he sometimes lets pitchers expand his strike zone. He needs to improve his baserunning instincts. Arias should be a plus defender and has a chance to be a table-setter with gap power. Ticketed for Triple-A this year, he might have to move to second base because the Rangers have all-star Michael Young at shortstop.
Arias will forever be known as part of the Alex Rodriguez trade. He reluctantly left the Yankees organization but settled in after a modest April to bat .300 or better in every month the rest of the way. Arias has superior athletic ability and premium tools in his long, wiry frame. He grades out as average or better across the board, with well-above-average speed and arm strength. While he made 40 errors in high Class A, the Rangers consider him a premium defender with good hands who can make the play in the hole. Arias won't be a weak hitter, but he also won't be an animal. While he has some raw power, he's more of a gap-to-gap hitter. His game needs refinement, from making routine plays to having more quality at-bats and fewer giveaways at the plate due to poor discipline. The Rangers liked Stephen Drew, the top-rated position player in the 2004 draft, but say Arias has better tools, is two years younger and has a better chance to play shortstop in the majors. He'll start 2005 in Double-A.
When Victor Mata first saw Arias as a wiry, 140-pound 16-year-old, he almost didn't give him a chance to swing the bat at a workout. Once Mata heard the thump of the ball coming off his bat, he kept Arias at the Yankees' academy for nearly a year. Arias signed for $300,000 after growing up in a house with a dirt floor and no furniture. His brother Alberto pitches in the Rockies system. Nicknamed "Spiderman" because his arms and legs appear to be going in every direction at once, Arias displays good body control in the field. He's flashier than New York's other shortstop prospects, showing plus-plus range and speed to go with a plus arm. He has outstanding bat speed and raw power. Arias hits out of a slight crouch and tends to swing uphill, and the Yankees would like to see him level his stroke out. He's too aggressive at the plate, though he demonstrates a good feel for the bat head and makes consistent contact. Like Guillen, Arias has five-tool potential and will continue to move at an aggressive pace. He'll start in high Class A this season as a 19-year-old.
When a bird-dog scout brought Arias to then-Latin American coordinator Victor Mata in 2000, Arias was a scrawny 140 pounds and Mata nearly walked away. Then he saw Arias swing the bat and it sounded like a 200-pounder was hitting the ball. The Yankees had him in their Dominican academy for nearly a year before signing him for $300,000. Alfonso Soriano is the new standard for middle-infield prospects, and as unfair as the comparisons might be, Arias has been compared to Soriano. Most were based on a physical resemblance. Arias has quick hands that trigger outstanding bat speed and surprising power, which projects as above-average as he matures. Since his first days at the academy, his arm strength has jumped a full grade to solid-average, his hands have improved and his 60-yard dash time has been cut to 6.5 seconds. Though he has all the tools for short, the Yankees moved him to second in the GCL because of shortstops Robinson Cano, Ferdin Tejada and Deivi Mendez in the lower levels. Arias started his career in the GCL instead of the Dominican Summer League. The Yankees will move him to the short-season New York-Penn League in 2003.

Minor League Top Prospects

Arias was the "other" player in the Alex Rodriguez-Alfonso Soriano trade in February trade. Those who saw him in the TL said the Rangers made the right call when they chose among the prospects the Yankees offered in the deal. Arias has the range, arm and athleticism to be a standout shortstop, and probably had the best pure tools of any shortstop in the league. He makes "ESPN plays," as one manager said, but his 29 errors show he still can improve his execution on routine plays. How much he does with the bat will determine Arias' ultimate value. He started slowly this season, with his average sitting at .233 at the end of May, but he hit better than .300 every month the rest of the way to finish fifth in the TL batting race. He has gotten stronger and should show some pop down the road. Most significant, he showed the ability to make adjustments at the plate. Pitchers were beating him inside with fastballs early in the season, and he was able to recognize the problem and correct it.
The other player obtained by the Rangers in the Alex Rodriguez/Alfonso Soriano trade, Arias has the potential to make that deal look less lopsided in the long run. Despite being one of the youngest players in the league at 19, Arias still batted .300, topped Stockton with 150 hits and finished among the league leaders in triples (eight) and steals (30). Physically reminiscent of Soriano, Arias makes excellent contact and shows projectable power as well as strength to the opposite field. He's a plus runner with tremendous range and a powerful arm. Despite his obvious physical ability, Arias is still raw in nearly every facet of the game. Offensively, he's far too aggressive and he has yet to bring his raw power to in-game situations. Defensively, he's prone to careless errors, often flipping the ball to first base on routine plays. "You watch him in batting and fielding practice and you drool," one scout said. "But once the game starts, he disappoints."
Arias bears a striking resemblance to fellow Dominican Alfonso Soriano, who one day could present an obstacle to Arias' goal of playing second base in New York. Arias has the same tall, lanky build and similar actions in the field. He also runs exceptionally well and could use better plate discipline. "He's got good hand-eye coordination and makes good contact," Crespo said, "but he needs to walk more and learn the strike zone." Arias has the range and arm strength to play shortstop, but the presence of natural shortstops Ferdin Tejada and Deivi Mendez prompted the Yankees to shift Arias across the bag to second.