When Luis Arraez signed with the Giants last winter, he took a pretty big gamble. The former Twins infielder has always been a great hitter, but his performance in the field made it difficult to find a team willing to invest. Eventually, Arraez landed in the Bay Area with a $12 million contract and a guarantee that he’d play at his natural position of second base.
That move could pay huge dividends as the MLB trade deadline approaches. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that San Francisco general manager Buster Posey is already “testing the waters” on potential trades ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline.
“In recent days, the Giants have put out feelers on some of their players, testing the waters for potential deals, according to people briefed on their discussions,” Rosenthal wrote. “The most obvious players for the Giants to move would be two of their potential free agents, second baseman Luis Arraez and left-hander Robby Ray.”
If Arraez was hoping for a long-term home in San Francisco, this would be disappointing. But the former Twin could also be on a path to cash in this offseason and get the type of contract the Twins – or any other team – wouldn’t give him.
Giants’ trade deadline plans could get Luis Arraez the contract the Twins wouldn’t give him
Entering Monday with a 29-43 record and nine games out of the final Wild Card spot in the National League, there’s a good chance Rosenthal’s report isn’t just a threat. Most of the moves made by Posey in the past calendar year have backfired, but the decision to bring in Arraez has proven to be a good one.
Arraez continues to hit as the former batting champion owns a .319/.352/.435 batter’s line with two homers, 26 RBI and five stolen bases in 69 games. But the biggest improvement is in the field, where his plus-nine in the outs above average metric are the second most among MLB second basemen behind JJ Weatherholt (+13) of the St. Louis Cardinals per Baseball Savant.
The defensive aspect was one reason why the Twins traded Arraez to the Miami Marlins in exchange for Pablo Lopez in 2023. It was also why several other teams passed on signing him in free agency without a clear plan for him in the field. But with this no longer an issue, it could fast-track Arraez to get paid next winter.
A trade to a contender would be the first step in the process as it would put him in the middle of a pennant race. With more suitors expected to pop up ahead of the deadline, there’s a good chance the three-time batting champion will continue to hit and boost his resume ahead of hitting the market again next winter.
This would follow in the footsteps of Jorge Polanco’s post-Twins career. Polanco sat in free agency for several months following a disappointing 2024 season with the Seattle Mariners. But after returning on a one-year deal, Polanco hit .265/.326/.495 with 26 homers and 78 RBI in 138 games. The surge continued with Polanco hitting three homers and driving in eight runs in 12 postseason games and he was rewarded with a two-year, $40 million contract with the New York Mets.
Of course, Polanco’s deal with the Mets isn’t going so well as he’s only played in 14 games this season. But Arraez is three years younger and could be hitting the market at the perfect time even if MLB follows through on a lockout.
It’s another example of why Arraez’s gamble has paid off in a big way and could make his bank account even bigger if the Giants attempt to trade him before the deadline.
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