Getty Two-time batting champ Luis Arráez could be available amid the Marlins' slow start. Could the Red Sox be a landing spot?
The Miami Marlins have started their 2024 campaign with an 0-8 record. If their struggles continue, the club could seriously consider making infielder Luis Arráez available on the trade block, per Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin of The Athletic. If that happens, are the Boston Red Sox a legitimate landing spot for the two-time Silver Slugger winner?
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer ran through potential landing spots for Arráez if Miami wants to offload the 2023 MLB batting champion. The Red Sox appeared as one of three honorable mentions.
“With a 26.0 strikeout percentage so far this season, the Red Sox could use a bat-to-ball hitter like Arraez,” Rymer said. “But Vaughn Grissom won’t be out forever and he deserves to show what he can do.
Boston acquired Grissom via offseason trade with the Atlanta Braves in December. They sent starting pitcher Chris Sale and cash to the Braves in exchange for the 23-year-old.
Arráez is making $10.6 million in 2024 and won’t be a free agent until after the 2025 season, per Spotrac.
What Luis Arráez Could Bring to the Boston Red Sox Lineup
Like the Marlins, Arráez’s 2024 campaign is starting slow. His first 38 plate appearances have resulted in a .188/.316/.219 triple slash. However, his recent production shows he’d provide a big boost to Boston’s everyday lineup.
Arráez has won the batting title in both leagues over the past two years. He posted a .316 average with the Minnesota Twins in 2022, followed by a .354 mark with the Marlins in 2023, per Baseball-Reference. Across 1,220 plate appearances from 2022-23, the left-handed hitter has slashed .335/.384/.445. This includes 61 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs, 118 RBI and 159 runs scored. It also led to two All-Star Game selections, two Silver Slugger Awards and two top-15 finishes in MVP voting.
While Arráez’s current 2024 strikeout rate is 15.8% through a small sample size, his career-long strikeout rate is just 7.7%, per FanGraphs. His bat-to-ball skills and ability to get on base would be perfect for the top of manager Alex Cora’s order. It’d also allow third baseman Rafael Devers to move down a slot and potentially get more RBI chances.
How Could Luis Arráez Fit in With the 2024 Boston Red Sox?
As Rymer referenced in his short write-up about a fit between Boston and Arráez, the Red Sox should be set at both middle infield positions. Grissom will be manning second base and Trevor Story is the starting shortstop.
But if the Red Sox can sustain a hot start (they’re 5-2 through seven games), they could look for upgrades if injuries persist. Vaughn began the season on the injured list with a hamstring strain. While Boston’s current hope is he’ll return by the end of April, that’s still undetermined as he ramps up baseball activity.
Story is healthy and has appeared in all seven Red Sox games heading into action on April 5. However, he’s coming off two injury-plagued seasons. The start of Story’s six-year, $140 million deal included him suiting for just 137 of a possible 324 games, per Baseball-Reference.
If he suffers another injury at some point this year, that’d force Grissom across the diamond to shortstop (his natural position) and create a hypothetical opening at second. It’d be a lot of moving parts for the Red Sox and doesn’t appear to be a perfect fit. However, anything can happen if Boston continues to surprise people around the league.