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PHILADELPHIA - Luis Arraez is fully prepared to get dealt by the time the Aug. 3 trade deadline comes around. But he'd also like potential suitors to know any deal involving him comes with an expectation: He's now a second baseman, and doesn't expect that to change after joining a new team.
Arraez, the three-time batting champion who's been the lone bright spot on a 41-55 San Francisco Giants team, has remade himself into a Gold Glove-caliber second baseman under the tutelage of infield guru Ron Washington, enhancing his value significantly as he once again tests the free agent market this winter.
He's once again elite with the bat, hitting .330, but now he's no longer dinged for being a first baseman or designated hitter with little power. And Arraez would prefer to maintain his rediscovered identity at second.
"It's going to be second base," Arraez said when asked about potential destinations and scenarios. "I don’t like to go back to first base. I prepared my mind, I prepared my body only to play second base."
It's easy to see why, and perhaps acquiring teams will understand it as well. Arraez has already accrued 3.0 WAR in this slightly more than half season, more than his prevous two seasons, when he banged out 381 hits for Miami and San Diego yet amassed just 2.6 WAR.
Why? Most of that damage came as he played himself off second and was relegated to first or DH. He was traded from Miami to San Diego in 2024, and the Padres reached the playoffs both seasons.
He and the Giants had high hopes for a similar outcome in 2025, but the first year under manager Tony Vitello has gone awry in several fashions. The Giants finished the symbolic first half winning three of four against Colorado, but it would take a July miracle for them to avoid being sellers come trade deadline time.
"This past week, we’ve played good baseball as an organization. But I just need to stay focused and I don’t want to think about a trade," says Arraez. "It’s tough, especially mentally. When you feel like a family and you’ve got Willy (Adames), Raffy (Devers), Heliot (Ramos), Logan (Webb) – those guys seem like family. They open the door for me.
"It’s hard to leave, you know? But it’s a business."
As he and his new team may soon find out next month.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB trade target Luis Arraez makes surprise demand at All-Star Game
Continue reading...
Arraez, the three-time batting champion who's been the lone bright spot on a 41-55 San Francisco Giants team, has remade himself into a Gold Glove-caliber second baseman under the tutelage of infield guru Ron Washington, enhancing his value significantly as he once again tests the free agent market this winter.
He's once again elite with the bat, hitting .330, but now he's no longer dinged for being a first baseman or designated hitter with little power. And Arraez would prefer to maintain his rediscovered identity at second.
"It's going to be second base," Arraez said when asked about potential destinations and scenarios. "I don’t like to go back to first base. I prepared my mind, I prepared my body only to play second base."
It's easy to see why, and perhaps acquiring teams will understand it as well. Arraez has already accrued 3.0 WAR in this slightly more than half season, more than his prevous two seasons, when he banged out 381 hits for Miami and San Diego yet amassed just 2.6 WAR.
Why? Most of that damage came as he played himself off second and was relegated to first or DH. He was traded from Miami to San Diego in 2024, and the Padres reached the playoffs both seasons.
He and the Giants had high hopes for a similar outcome in 2025, but the first year under manager Tony Vitello has gone awry in several fashions. The Giants finished the symbolic first half winning three of four against Colorado, but it would take a July miracle for them to avoid being sellers come trade deadline time.
"This past week, we’ve played good baseball as an organization. But I just need to stay focused and I don’t want to think about a trade," says Arraez. "It’s tough, especially mentally. When you feel like a family and you’ve got Willy (Adames), Raffy (Devers), Heliot (Ramos), Logan (Webb) – those guys seem like family. They open the door for me.
"It’s hard to leave, you know? But it’s a business."
As he and his new team may soon find out next month.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB trade target Luis Arraez makes surprise demand at All-Star Game
Continue reading...
