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The Kansas City Royals were exploring a trade for Miami Marlins infielder Luis Arráez before the San Diego Padres ultimately acquired him, according to a new report from MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
“At least one other team, the Kansas City Royals, was in contact with the Marlins about Arráez last week, according to major-league sources who were granted anonymity for their candor,” Rosenthal reported. “Those talks, however, never advanced beyond the preliminary stage. The Padres’ pursuit of Arráez dated to the offseason (the Seattle Mariners also restated their longstanding interest then).”
The Kansas City Royals Could Have Assembled a Competitive Package for Luis Arráez
Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix opted for a package of Padres outfielders Dillon Head and Jakob Marsee, first baseman Nathan Martorella and pitcher Woo-Suk Go in exchange for Arráez. Bendix also agreed to pay a significant portion of Arráez’s $10.6 million salary for this season.
It’s unclear what the Royals might have been willing to offer for Arráez, but it did not take too much for Padres’ president A.J. Preller to wrest the upcoming free agent away from Miami.
“Preller didn’t sacrifice anyone who would’ve ranked in the top five of his system,” R.J. Anderson wrote for CBS Sports. “You can argue he didn’t move anyone who would’ve ranked in the top 10, depending on how you line ’em up. That doesn’t mean those players lack merit, or that they can’t become interesting contributors at the big-league level. But we think most would agree that Preller is justified in taking a swing here given the modest transaction cost.”
But there is some question about whether Arráez can really make a difference for a team in the midst of a competitive playoff hunt, like the Padres and Royals. He is a two-time MLB batting champ, All-Star and Silver Slugger, but his on-base ability covers up a relative lack of power — he has a career .424 slugging percentage.
“Many in the industry do not perceive Arráez the way fans might think,” Rosenthal noted. “He offers little power, making it almost essential he maintains his .325 career average. He is below-average at second base, the wrong type of offensive profile for first. Whatever versatility he offers, he also has played third and left — is negated by his overall lack of fielding ability.”
The Kansas City Royals Might Still Pull Off a Trade With the Miami Marlins
Ultimately, the Royals will have to look elsewhere if they seek to boost an already-potent batting order in pursuit of an American League Central division title. Though their talks over Arráez fell apart, they might consider calling Bendix about any number of other players, as the Marlins seem to be in sell-now mode.
“The fire sale has begun in Miami with the marlins sending two-time batting champion Luis Arráez to the San Diego Padres, even paying all but $592,796 of his remaining salary,” Bob Nightengale reported for USA Today. “Next up? Center fielder Jazz Chisholm, their best all-around player who has the most trade value.”
The Royals might see Chisholm as an upgrade over Kyle Isbel, Garrett Hampson and Dairon Blanco. The Marlins are also likely to listen to offers on shortstop Tim Anderson, reliever Tanner Scott, slugger Josh Bell and southpaw Jesus Luzardo.
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