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Dateline: Goodyear, Arizona
Reds shortstop prospect, the 22-year old Edwin Arroyo is leaving Goodyear, Arizona to play for Team Puerto Rico in the Major League Baseball sponsored World Baseball classic.
The native of Aricebo, Puerto Rico, a town of 86,000 people on the north shore of the island, will join the team that is managed by Reds' nemesis, Yadier Molina.
The young Reds' prospect, who is battling in the shadows of Elly De La Cruz for a place on the Cincinnati roster. He has been playing every day toward that goal.
"I've never done this (play for a national team), even in Little League," Arroyo said. "I think it will be fun, being around the big players will be even better. I'm ready for it, excited for it."
The team includes multi All-Star Nolan Arenado, San Francisco Giants slugger, Heliot Ramos, and Edwin Diaz, the brother of former Reds' closer Alexis Diaz. Former Reds reliever, now a Yankee, Fernando Cruz is on the squad.
They will play in the bracket that plays at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, 50 miles from Arroyo's home town. The competition for Puerto Rico in that bracket are: Cuba, who the Reds play on Wednesday, Canada, Panama and Colombia. They will begin play on Friday. Puerto Rico drew Colombia as its first opponent.
Arroyo has been sick the last couple of days but felt better as he packed to leave.
"I am trying to stay healthy. I wasn't yesterday or the last couple of days," Arroyo admitted. "I feel better now. The camp has been good for me, though."
Reds manager Terry Francona was wondering about Arroyo's energy.
"It's funny because I was kind of bitching to Freddie the other day. I said Edwin's got to play with a little more energy," Terry Francona said. "Then I found out he's been puking between innings. So you go from being a little bit irritated to he kind of showed me something."
There are benefits for the young player to experience intense competition by contrast to the informal Cactus League which is geared more for preparedness than competition.
"Normally we would shy away from kinda wanting our guys to play for obvious reasons," Francona admitted. "I think for Edwin it might be really cool. This kid's been in Double A but now he's going to play in s ome big games. Our concern for him is he's been sick. We want him today to get his legs under him. We're not going to take him with us (to game against Milwaukee in Maryville). Even though you're trying to build him up to go play but I don't think it will do him a whole lot of good to go, today. There is going to be in games where they're some people (crowds), emotion that will be really good him."
Arroyo played in 10 games so far with a single and a double in 10 plate appearances, no walks and two strikeouts.
Defensively, he has bobbled some ground balls and was late on a relay to turn a double play. They turned out to be the effects of illness.
Arroyo is major league ready now for the big leagues defensively but needs to show that his batting skills have improved.
The second round draft choice of the Seattle Mariners in 2021, he missed most of the 2024 season with a torn left labrum (non throwing shoulder), he returned to hit .253 in the Arizona Fall League, close to his 2023 average between Dayton and Chattanooga in 2023.
Arroyo rebounded with better offense at Chattanooga. He played in 121 games with a .284 average, 24 doubles, four triples and three home runs. He was on base at a .345 clip and stole 12 bases.
More recently, Arroyo played 16 games for Santurce in the Puerto Rican Winter League and hit .355 with five doubles. and a triple. He had a .429 OBP.
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