The New York Yankees and San Diego Padres have discussed a trade for three-time batting champion Luis Arraez, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. He also mentioned that the team had inquired about infielder Gavin Lux, who the Los Angeles Dodgers could trade after they signed Hye-Seong Kim this past week. Arraez is coming off of a down year with the Marlins and Padres, where he posted a 109 wRC+ and 1.1 fWAR, but his pedigree of being a firmly above-average hitter coupled with his ability to lead off appeal to a Yankees’ team needing offense.
With just one year left on his deal, the Yankees would be landing another rental, but there are legitimate questions about his glove and fit in Yankee Stadium.
Luis Arraez Drawing Serious Interest From Yankees
It’s clear that the infield remains a serious issue for the Yankees right now, as DJ LeMahieu and Oswaldo Cabrera are the projected starters at third base, with Jazz Chisholm at second base. It’s unclear where Luis Arraez would play if he were to come to the Bronx, but his excellent bat-to-ball skills have led to three straight batting titles, which the Yankees would love to slide at the top of their lineup.
Last season, he had a career-worst batting average (.314) and on-base percentage (.346), but he dealt with injury for most of the season and played closer to his normal form with the Padres. The Yankees’ biggest concern would likely be his glove, as Arraez is a below-average defender at second base and not a particularly strong baserunner either. His ability to generate offense at the top of the lineup would fill a massive need for the Bronx Bombers, though.
Hitting in front of Aaron Judge is an incredible challenge due to how aggressive pitchers will attack the guy in front of baseball’s best hitter, but perhaps Arraez is up to the task.
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Luis Arraez is a super-aggressive hitter who loves to ambush pitches in-zone, and perhaps the onslaught of strikes he’d get as teams wouldn’t want to walk him for Aaron Judge would provide an easier hitting situation. The Yankees have not been able to find a stable leadoff hitter over the past few seasons, and Aaron Boone would love to have a reliable option he can slot atop the lineup without a second thought.
The Yankees need offensive support, especially in the OBP department, and with a .372 OBP and 123 wRC+ over the past three seasons, Luis Arraez would certainly help. It’s an imperfect fit due to being a slow runner and a subpar defender, but it’s certainly better than what the Yankees currently have on their roster.