When the San Francisco Giants signed Luis Arraez in free agency, they hoped he would be the missing piece for a talented infield. However, it has been anything but that. The one-year $12 million deal seemed like a bargain.
Under first-year manager Tony Vitello, the Giants have been a big disappointment this season. Sitting at 20-30, the only team worse than them in the National League is the Colorado Rockies. The Los Angeles Angels are the only team worse than the Rockies.
Things are quickly spiraling in Northern California, with San Francisco, and changes are likely coming. Some of those changes might not be as big as some might like, but Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report predicted that they could end up trading a key player to a division rival.
San Francisco Giants Predicted To Trade Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres
Changes are likely coming in some aspect for the Giants. They would love to unload some of their bigger contracts, like Rafael Devers, but that’s going to be easier said than done. That trade is looking like a regret. However, Reuter predicted that San Francisco would trade Arraez within the division to the San Diego Padres.
“Contenders who are deficient at second base include the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays. There’s also the San Diego Padres. Their decision to move Fernando Tatis Jr. to second base has cleared playing time for Nick Castellanos in right field, but his bat (.194 AVG, .560 OPS) should have his job on borrowed time,” wrote Reuter.
Clearly, the Nick Castellanos experiment isn’t going as planned for the Padres. Arraez is someone well-known to San Diego. He spent the good part of the last two seasons in Southern California. He slashed .304/.336/.395 in two seasons with the Padres with just 39 strikeouts. Arraez’s ability to make contact and avoid striking out has been impressive.
San Francisco Giants Have Some Decisions To Make
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the president of baseball operations, Buster Posey, would love to dump some big deal. However, he doesn’t have the luxury right now.
“The Giants would love to unload outfielder Jung Hoo Lee ($85 million left on his contract), shortstop Willy Adames ($161 million remaining), first baseman Rafael Devers ($226.5 million remaining) and Matt Chapman ($125 million remaining) and start over,” Nightengale wrote.
If Posey does decide to move Arraez, he would have plenty of options. Other than the Padres as second base help, and the ability to cut down on strikeouts is something a handful of teams will be looking for.
“The Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates could use a bat-to-ball hitter of Arraez’s caliber. Each is among the 10 most strikeout-prone teams in MLB, whereas Arraez has fanned seven times in 200 plate appearances,” wrote Reuter.
The closer to the trade deadline we get, Arraez will likely become one of the most sought-after players as a rental. Trading him within a division with him becoming a free agent in an offseason with so many questions, with a potential work stoppage, wouldn’t be the worst move San Francisco could make.
San Francisco Giants Predicted To Trade Three-Time All-Star to Division Rival