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Should the Giants Extend Luis Arraez?
Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Should the Giants Extend Luis Arraez?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports  |  By Joe Najarian  |  Last updated Jul 10, 2026 3:49 PM ET
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The San Francisco Giants are a sure bet to be sellers ahead of MLB's trade deadline on August 3.

While nearly every key contributor except for Logan Webb is on the table, the most enticing trade chip the Giants have is infielder Luis Arraez.

The 29-year-old is enjoying the most complete season of his career and would be an impact player for nearly every team in contention. On top of that, Arraez will be a free agent after the season, giving more incentive for San Francisco to trade him for a substantial return.

However, trade rumors surrounding Arraez took an unexpected twist when the three-time batting champion expressed interest in signing a contract extension with the Giants. John Shea of the San Francisco Standard asked Arraez about the possibility of staying in the Bay Area long-term, and Arraez made it clear that the door is open.

"Yes, why not?" Arraez said to Shea. "Especially because this organization gave me a big opportunity to improve my defense. I would love to come back here. We’re still in the season, and I don’t think about that right now. But in the future, let’s see what happens. I’m open to listen to whatever they want to say to me."

Arraez earned a reputation as MLB's best contact hitter by winning three consecutive batting titles from 2022-2024, each with a different team (the Minnesota Twins in 2022, the Miami Marlins in 2023 and the San Diego Padres in 2024). This included an MLB-best .354 clip in 2023, which earned him a Silver Slugger Award.

A down season in 2025 saw Arraez's batting average sink to .292, while his .719 OPS was a career-low. As a result, his market never truly materialized in free agency and he settled for a one-year, $12 million contract with the Giants in hopes of bouncing back.

This year, Arraez has bounced back and more. He's currently slashing .326/.363/.460 with 32 extra-base hits and a 125 wRC+ in 389 plate appearances. A subpar defender for most of his career, Arraez flipped that narrative on its head by evolving into a Gold Glove-caliber fielder at second base, with Statcast crediting him with eight fielding runs and 10 Outs Above Average.

Arraez's improvements in the field, alongside his offense returning in full force, resulted in him accumulating 3.5 fWAR in 88 games so far. That's the best of his career, and it's not even the All-Star break yet.

Because the Giants are struggling and Arraez will hit free agency again this winter, it makes sense to trade him at the deadline. But with Arraez showing his love for San Francisco, this situation is certainly trickier.

San Francisco already has Rafael Devers , Matt Chapman and Willy Adames on long-term deals, but are open to parting with any of them if a contender is desperate enough to take on their salaries. This scenario is very unlikely, though it would make extending Arraez much easier to accomplish.

Ultimately, it's on the Giants to decide whether their resurgent second baseman is part of their future plans. If he isn't, they can ship him off at the trade deadline for a strong return. But if the Giants want Arraez in the Bay Area beyond 2026, it seems like he'd be on board.

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

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