Yankees Trade Idea Sends Three-Time MLB Batting Champ to Bronx

The Athletic's Jim Bowden proposed the Yankees trade for Padres utilityman Luis Arraez, who the Yankees know very well from his time with Minnesota. 

Arraez was also the only reason captain Aaron Judge didn't achieve a Triple Crown in his 2022 MVP season, as his .316 batting average trumped Judge's .311, which stopped the captain from leading the AL in average, home runs and RBIs. 

Bowden also named Rays infielder Brandon Lowe and Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette as possible trade targets for New York, but said he couldn't see them being viable targets in the midst of a suddenly close AL East division race.

"Arraez is not a great defender, but he's won a batting title each of the past three years and would create extra traffic on the bases for New York's sluggers to drive home," Bowden wrote.

Bowden's one concern is how the Yankees and Padres would fit as trade partners, but with Arraez set to become a free agent after 2025, the Padres might want to get some value for him instead of letting him walk for free.

This wouldn't be the first time the two sides engaged in an Arraez-New York trade conversation, as ESPN's Jeff Passan reported in January that the two had discussed a possible trade.

The trade also comes with some question marks, with Arraez's value as a mostly-singles hitter. 

According to Statcast, Yankee Stadium has a park factor of 126 on home runs for left-handed hitters, making it 26% more favorable. However, it also has a park factor of 82 on singles for left-handed hitters, making it 18% harder for lefties to reach first on a hit. 

The Yankees have a lot to think about in July, because one or two moves like this could be the difference between getting bounced in the ALDS or finally winning it all.