Forgotten Cubs reliever might've just become Yankees pitching lab's latest success

Michael Arias was never at the top of the Chicago Cubs' farm system rankings during his time with the organization, but there was an expectation that he could turn into an effective major league reliever for Craig Counsell and Co. That is why there was some surprise that the Cubs ended the experiment last offseason, designating him for assignment when they needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster.

It's not like Arias' roster went to waste. It was the signing of Colin Rea that created the need for an opening, and Rea has turned into an effective swing man on the Cubs' pitching staff.

For a team that has made common practice out of getting the most out of pitchers, letting go of Arias felt like an error in evaluation. The New York Yankees could be about to prove just how wrong the Cubs were.

Like the Cubs last year, the Yankees did some trickery with Arias' roster status this offseason, but they were able to keep him around on a minor-league deal. After turning 24, 2026 would be the season for Arias to make the jump to the major league level, and he is certainly off to the right start in spring training.

Yankees pitching lab may have revived forgotten Cubs pitching prospect

Arias made his 2026 spring training debut on Thursday for the Yankees and looked electric. He tossed a scoreless inning, giving up only one hit and striking out two of the four batters he faced. What was even more impressive was the metrics when it came to his pitch-mix, which were off the charts.

If you're familiar with Baseball Savant, you realize that any metric with a deep shade of red is a very good thing. That same sentiment can be applied to how all four of his pitchers looked in his outing on Thursday.

After an offseason where the Cubs spent nearly $30 million rebuilding their bullpen, it's fair to wonder if they should have found a way to keep Arias around. Especially when you consider the fact that outside of Jaxon Wiggins, the Cubs are thin when it comes to pitching prospects expected to have a role of consequence on the major league roster.