Yankees, Mets rejected as MLB shortstop chooses Rockies as final destination

Veteran shortstop Orlando Arcia has found a new team after being released by the Atlanta Braves last week. The former World Series winner signed with the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.

However, the former Braves star had offers from two big-market teams, the New York Yankees and New York Mets, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman.

The Yankees and Mets offered minor league deals to the shortstop to bolster their infield depth. But Arcia reportedly rejected the offers to sign an MLB deal with Colorado.

"Yankees and Mets both offered Arcia minor league opportunities before he got the MLB deal with the Rockies," Heyman wrote on X Wednesday.

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Although Orlando Arcia has not been able to live up to the standards he set in 2022 and 2023 with the Braves, the two teams, especially the Yankees, could have done with an experienced defensive option capable of playing multiple infield positions.

Orlando Arcia gets first hit for Rockies after rejecting Yankees, Mets

Following his release by the Braves, where he won the World Series in 2021, Orlando Arcia penned a heartfelt note on Instagram.

“I want to take a moment to say thank you to the Braves organization, my teammates, the staff, and especially the fans,” Arcia noted in an Instagram post on Tuesday. “Wearing this jersey and representing this city has been one of the greatest honors of my career.

“While it’s time for a new chapter, Atlanta will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you for everything.”

In his first game since moving to Colorado, the 30-year-old shortstop went 2-for-3 against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. However, it wasn't enough to secure a win for Colorado, which slumped to a 2-1 defeat, its fifth on the bounce.

The Rockies hold the worst record (9-47) in baseball and, at their current form, could end up with several unwanted records at the end of the season.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash