The San Diego Padres have been one of the most aggressive teams in Major League Baseball since A.J. Preller took over their front office in 2014. He has never been afraid to add talent to the roster, as the Padres have had some star-studded lineups despite some middling success.
Looking to jump-start their offense again after trading Juan Soto in the offseason to the New York Yankees, San Diego made another acquisition. They have agreed to a trade with the Miami Marlins centered around All-Star second baseman, Luis Arraez.
Miami will be paying a large chunk of Arraez’s remaining salary, as the Padres will only be on the hook for the prorated veteran’s minimum. In exchange for him, San Diego is sending reliever Woo-Suk Go and prospects Dillon Head, Jakob Marsee and Nathan Martorella to Miami.
Head, a first-round pick in the 2023 MLB Amateur Draft, is the most intriguing prospect heading back to Miami. He was selected out of high school and is only 19 years old. This is the first of what is expected to be many moves by an underachieving Marlins team to sell off pieces.
Arraez fills a void in the Padres’ lineup that needed another left-handed bat with Soto’s departure. He is one of the best contact hitters in baseball, leading the National League in batting average the last two seasons and taking home two Silver Slugger awards as well.
Right now, the plan is for Arraez to get most of his at-bats as the designated hitter. However, that spot will be rotated amongst several players, as Arraez can play first base along with second.
“It’s really amazing — that guy is a baller,” Fernando Tatis Jr. said about Arraez after the Padres’ win Friday night. “He’s probably the closest to Tony Gwynn right now, so looking forward to seeing him in our lineup. … The guy’s a pure hitter, and I can’t wait for him to help us.”
In 33 games this season, all starts at second base, Arraez is hitting .299 with a .347 on-base percentage and a .372 slugging percentage. His ability to get on base should benefit the sluggers in San Diego’s lineup such as Tatis and Manny Machado.
More must-reads: