The New York Yankees are flying high right now. They are first in the AL East, with a 34-20 record, and have an offense that’s making other teams cry. They are leading the league in every aspect, from home runs to walks, OPS, and they are even in the top three in runs scored and RBIs. So, simply put, they are a championship-contending team.

But everyone knows even the best team in baseball cannot get complacent.

The Yanks have been poking around for some infield depth. And one name that they reportedly approached was none other than Orlando Arcia. The former Atlanta Braves shortstop was just designated for assignment to make room for Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. (who also is making a stellar comeback).

As per Jon Heyman, the Yankees, apparently along with the Mets, offered Arcia a minor league deal. However, it turns out that he passed on it. And the shocking part is that it was not for another contending team. Nope! Arcia instead went ahead and chose the Colorado Rockies.

Arcia snubbed the best contending team to go to the Rockies, who are currently holding the worst record in the majors: 9-46. This number is not bad; this is historic-level bad. But the question is, why would he do this? Why would he go for a team with no shot at October?

Well, for him, it can be all about opportunity. After all, his 2023 All-Star season now feels like a distant memory.

Through 14 games he has played this year, Arcia has slashed just .194 and a .445 OPS. These numbers are not head-turning. So, he wouldn’t have cracked the code to get on the New York Yankees roster anytime soon, since Volpe and Rice are doing great as shortstop and DH. And in this situation, the Rockies gave him something that the Yankees could not—a big league contract.

Still, for the New York Yankees, it could be a bit of a letdown. Maybe they wanted to see if they could help him bounce back in the minors. Maybe even mold him into a solid depth piece down the road. But then the appeal of guaranteed MLB playing time seems to have been too good for Arcia to pass up.

Orlando Arcia says goodbye to the Atlanta Braves

For five seasons, Orlando Arcia played with the Braves, and he made sure that before he closed the doors, he extended a heartfelt goodbye.

On Memorial Day weekend, the 30-year-old shortstop took to Instagram to thank the team and the city. “I want to take a moment to say thank you to the Braves organization, my teammates, the staff, and especially the fans. Wearing this jersey and representing this city has been one of the greatest honors of my career,” Arcia wrote.

He added that the Atlanta Braves will ‘always have a special place’ in his heart. He has grown on and off the field in the city. It’s a classy move from a guy who played a key role in the Braves’ 2021 World Series run. That year, he hit .264 with 17 home runs and 65 RBIs, looking like a long-term fit at shortstop. But baseball can be brutal.

Fast forward to now, and he has lost his starting role to Nick Allen. His bat had cooled off dramatically, and his defensive capability and versatility were not enough to save his spot. So when Ronald Acuna Jr. returned from the injured list, of course, the Braves made the tough call to DFA him.

Now with the Rockies, he is probably looking to reset and rebuild. While things didn’t end the way he may have hoped in Atlanta, Arcia’s message made it clear he has no hard feelings, simply gratitude for them.