Will Luis Arraez Be Traded From The Miami Marlins?
Miami Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez is a star in MLB. He has the best bat-to-ball skills on the planet right now. With that in mind, why in the world would the Marlins consider trading him? Take it with a grain of salt, but MLB insider Jon Heyman thinks there’s a possibility, as he suggested Friday:
The Marlins may be willing to entertain offers for Luis Arraez, per @JonHeyman pic.twitter.com/ybF4k3t7R4
&mdash; B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) January 12, 2024
If they want to change their reputation of being a poorly-run franchise, then keeping and extending a player of Arraez’s stature is a great start.
Let’s put this in perspective: Excluding the 2020 season (smaller sample size), he had the best batting average (.354) since Josh Hamilton hit .359 back in 2010. He’s got back-to-back batting titles in both leagues, and obviously, he was one of the keys to the Marlins reaching the postseason in 2023. It makes little sense, but if he’s available, every team in the league should make a call.
As of right now, Arraez is under team control through 2025, according to Spotrac. He and the Marlins are heading toward an arbitration hearing after not agreeing before this week’s deadline.
Sure, there might be a little animosity between both sides over some dollars and cents, but guys like him do not grow on trees. He is currently the best table-setter in the game and it’s possible Miami won’t have any power bats to drive him in; Jorge Soler is a free agent and looks set to sign elsewhere.
The rough years in recent memory obviously have helped them build their farm system. They also have some of the best young pitching crops in the league. I’m struggling to wrap my head around why this new front office is hesitant to build and be competitive.
My Dream
I mentioned this in our MLB Slack, but the Yankee fan in me hopes Brian Cashman doesn’t miss out on this opportunity. Gleyber Torres has been a great Yankee. In 2023, he was pretty much the best hitter not named Aaron Judge.
Despite this, the team is not pursuing an extension with him even though he’s a free agent after 2024. Rather than potentially letting him walk, I would suggest they trade him for either more pitching or prospects and move to make Arraez the new second baseman. Having him hit leadoff behind Judge and Juan Soto would actually put the Bronx Bombers firmly in the conversation with Atlanta and the Dodgers as the best lineup in the league.
They have a $300 million payroll, but this team still feels incomplete. After signing Marcus Stroman, there still feels like holes in both the lineup and pitching staff. Cashman probably thought acquiring Soto would be all it takes, but the fans are rightfully lighting a fire underneath the team for them to add more. It’s a balancing act but the potential to improve is still totally there, and galvanizing the lineup with Arraez is one way to do exactly that.
Somehow, rumors of Luiz Arraez leaving Miami after one season are circulating. The Marlins should put those to rest but it’s a waiting game now.
