Blockbuster trades usually don’t happen before Memorial Day in Major League Baseball. But, AJ Preller is known for taking big swings. The Padres GM went for the fences again.
Preller worked a deal with the Miami Marlins to bring 2-time batting champion Luis Arraez to San Diego for a package of prospects. Arraez made history when he led the American League in batting average in 2022 with the Twins, was dealt to the Marlins in the off-season, and led the National League in batting in 2023 to become the first player ever to win back-to-back batting titles in different leagues.
In return the Padres are sending a package of young players to Miami that reportedly includes outfielders Hudson Head and Jakob Marsee, 1st baseman Nathan Martorella, and relief pitcher Woo Suk Go. Head was the Padres 1st round draft pick a year ago and is playing his first full season of pro ball at Lake Elsinore. The other three have not advanced higher than Double-A San Antonio.
Arraez is in the Padres lineup for Saturday night's game against the Diamondbacks, batting leadoff as the designated hitter, and he’s exactly what the Friars need offensively. The 2-time Silver Slugger Award winner specializes in getting on base and putting pressure on defenses. The question is, where will he fit in on defense?
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Arraez has spent most of his big league career at 2nd base but has played all four infield positions as well as left field. The Friars infield is so loaded they moved highly touted prospect Jackson Merrill from shortstop to centerfield during Spring Training. The Friars could give Manny Machado some more time at DH as he continues to work his way back from elbow surgery, or this move might mean another trade is on the horizon.
Arraez has one more year of arbitration, putting him under team control through the 2025 season, and this year his arrival is actually LOWERING San Diego's Competitive Balance Tax number. Miami has agreed to pay the majority of his 2024 contract so the Friars are trimming a little less than $1 million, which is amazing given the fact they added an All-Star in his prime.
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