Luis Arraez & Willson Contreras (Photo by Imagn Images)

'Extremely Unfair' – Wilson Contreras Criticizes The San Francisco Giants For Luis Arraez’s Contract

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports
By Paranjoy Goswami | Last updated Mar 7, 2026 12:59 PM ET

Despite being the best contact hitter in the MLB, Luis Arraez remained an unsigned free agent late into the offseason. Eventually, the San Francisco Giants signed him on a one-year, $12 million contract in January. Before making his major league debut for the Giants, however, Arraez will represent Venezuela at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras is a teammate of Luis Arraez at the 2026 WBC. Contreras took the microphone from Luis Arraez while the latter was giving an interview with reporters, expressing displeasure at his compatriot’s contract. He not only took a swipe at the San Francisco Giants but also at all MLB teams for the existing player evaluation methods.

“I do see it as unfair. The way baseball is being evaluated right now. I think it’s extremely unfair. It’s not something I take personally, but it feels way off base that a hitter like Luis Arraez didn’t get what he deserved [in a contract],” Contreras said in Spanish to the reporter who was talking with his teammate, Arraez.

"I waited for this opportunity. I'm ready to go."

3-time batting champion Luis Arraez discusses his hitting philosophy that he hopes to bring to the @SFGiants.

30 Clubs, 30 Camps pic.twitter.com/pBJ5DqhRdT
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 27, 2026

Contreras and Arraez are two of the leading hitters for Team Venezuela. The lineup also includes Eugenio Suárez, who also remained an unsigned free agent for much of this winter. In contrast to Arraez, Suárez brings genuine power to the plate, yet the market did not value him very highly for having a low average with a high strikeout rate.

Luis Arraez Wishes He Played In the Bygone MLB Era

Luis Arraez (Image Credits: Imagn)

Willson Contreras stated that MLB teams ought to reconsider their analytics-driven player assessment models if they cannot find the right value for a high-average hitter like Luis Arraez. He even revealed that Arraez rues the fact that he is plying his trade in the prevailing analytics era of baseball.

“Honestly, I think baseball needs to be examined from top to bottom. Just because a hitter doesn’t have the highest average in MLB doesn’t mean he isn’t valuable to a team,” Contreras said.

Luis Arraez enjoying a light lunch during the game pic.twitter.com/H68xZlf2vy
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 6, 2026

“I guarantee any other team would love to have a player like Arraez. He even said himself that it feels like he was born in the wrong era. To me, it’s very unfair.”

Although Luis Arraez did not have a stellar 2025 campaign with the San Diego Padres, he still holds three batting titles over the past four seasons. With a .317/.363/.413 slash line, the left-hander has the highest batting average among active players in the MLB. Despite his lack of power, producing just 36 home runs over his seven-year career, he still possesses a 115 OPS+.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: