Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Luis Arraez issued a statement to the team’s fans following the end of his first season with the team.
Arraez, who began the season with the San Francisco Giants, was traded to the Phillies at the MLB trade deadline as the team tried to make a deep postseason run with his bat in their lineup.
While Arraez was excellent for the Giants, he struggled a bit with the Phillies after the trade, and to make matters worse, he got injured in late September and was forced to miss the Phillies’ National League Wild Card series against the Atlanta Braves, which they lost 2-1 in a three-game set.
Still, he loved his time in Philadelphia.
Luis Arraez Issues Statement After Phillies’ Season Ends
Taking to his social media, Arraez issued a lengthy statement where he thanked the Phillies’ fans for making him feel at home for the past two months.
“Philadelphia. When I was traded to the Phillies in the middle of the season, I didn’t know what to expect. But from day one, you welcomed me with open arms and made me feel at home.Playing at Citizens Bank Park in front of a sea of red and feeling your energy is something I’ll never forget. I wanted nothing more than to finish the season on the field with my teammates. Watching the playoffs from the bench because of an injury was incredibly difficult, because all I wanted was to be out there fighting alongside them. Thank you, Phillies fans, for all your support and for making my time in Philadelphia so special. — Luis. Philadelphia,” Arraez wrote in an Instagram post.
Luis Arraez Is an Impending Free Agent
A free agent once again this winter, Arraez will be highly coveted after having an overall terrific season, one where he finished second in the NL batting title race with a .310 batting average, just one point behind the winner, Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno.
Overall, Arraez batted .310 with a .765 OPS and a 127 OPS+ on the season, though his numbers after being traded to the Phillies declined as he struggled with his new team. Even still, his final numbers for the season saw him tally a solid 2.9 bWAR.
Not only did Arraez have good overall numbers at the plate this year, but his glovework at second base also improved greatly after he was routinely criticized for his defense during the last several seasons, which included being moved to first base when he played for the San Diego Padres last year.
The Phillies will likely attempt to keep Arraez for next season and beyond, but he will likely get some very lucrative contract offers during free agency, so it’s no guarantee that he returns to the Phillies.
That being said, he obviously had a great experience playing in Philadelphia based on what he wrote in this statement, so if the team and the player’s agent can come to terms on a fair contract for both sides, then perhaps he will return to “The City of Brotherly Love” next season.
Luis Arraez Issues Statement to Phillies Fans After End of Season