With Spring Training set to begin in just a few weeks, the three-time batting champion Luis Arraez continues to remain in the market. After playing his last year in arbitration with the Padres, Arraez always thought he was an interesting subject in free agency. His high contact and low strikeout rates earn him plenty of old-school fans. On the other hand, his lack of power, low walk rates, and defensive limitations make his value a stretch from a statistical standpoint.
Rumors have been very quiet on Arraez outside of the Padres’ reported interest in a November reunion. Early last week, 75.17% of MLBTR readers predicted he would accept a one-year deal rather than a multi-year deal. Now, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports that Arraez is weighing one-year and multi-year offers from clubs, most importantly a return to playing second base.
The 28-year-old has played all over the place since joining the Twins in 2019. Second and first base account for most of those innings. Defensive metrics were worse in his glove the second time around. In 2,793 defensive innings there, Arraez was worth -6 Defensive Runs Saved and -35 Outs Over Average. His last year as a regular second baseman was 2023 with the Marlins. In 1,124 innings that year, he was worth 4 DRS but -11 OAA. His keystone glove career was last seen by both metrics in 2022 (3 DRS and 1 OAA), but that was only 277 2/3 innings.
Statcast considers Arraez’s range and arm strength to be below average, both of which diminish his value. Perhaps in recognition of that, the Padres moved him to first base after acquiring him in May 2024. Since 2024-25 with San Diego, Arraez has played 1,517 2/3 innings at first base compared to just 140 innings at keystone. That move didn’t improve his defensive value. DRS painted him as an average first baseman during that time (0 DRS), while OAA remained negative in its outlook (-11 OAA). His 6th OAA in 2025 is tied with the Athletics’ Nick Kurtz third-worst among professional first responders.
In that history, it is not unreasonable that teams may want to reduce his time in the field. Of course, that raises the issue of whether Arraez’s offense is good enough for a full-time DH role. In 2025, designated hitters are posting a 110 wRC+ with a .188 slugging percentage. Arraez’s 107 wRC+ since the start of 2024 is comparable to that, but his .089 ISO is less than half the normal mark for the position. Feinsand’s post did not specify the interested parties or the terms of their contributions, so it is unclear how the market views Arraez as a whole. In any case, the fact that he’s prioritizing a return to second base could limit his leverage, especially on a multi-year deal.
The one-year route may be his best option. Arraez turns 29 in April and has several prime years left, so if he performs well in 2026, he could be back on the market young enough for a multi-year contract. He’ll never be a Glover Glover, but a cushion contract would at least allow him to improve his offense relative to his walk year at this point. His .292/.327/.392 slash line in 2025 was a 104 wRC+. Although he is above average, he has been productive early on, ranking with a 9% better than average offense wRC+ this year. In contrast, second basemen were less than 10% below average as hitters, even though they had better defense than first basemen.
From that lens, the question is which version of the Arraez is the most expensive market. He doesn’t hit well as a first baseman, but poor defense isn’t uncommon at that position anyway. As a sophomore, Arraez’s offense plays, but his defense becomes his biggest offense. He has reportedly been working defensively at second base during the offseason (link via Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extrabase), though it remains to be seen how important it will be to the teams mentioned by Feinsand.
Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images
