San Diego Padres Trade For Luis Arraez In First Major Deal Of MLB Season

The San Diego Padres have made yet another significant trade in the early part of the 2024 Major League Baseball season.

After months of rumors and speculation, San Diego acquired pitcher Dylan Cease from the Chicago White Sox late in spring training. And while Cease has been excellent through the first month or so, the Padres have still struggled into early May. A three-game winning streak entering Saturday was enough to bring them to within a game of .500, but at 17-18, the Padres still sit 4.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.

While the pitching has been disappointing, the offense has struggled with consistency; Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and Fernando Tatis Jr. have all performed well below their usual standards. 

READ: Manny Machado Prediction That The Padres Would Start F****** Raking Aging Poorly

Enter Luis Arraez. The 27-year-old Arraez was MLB's batting average leader in 2023 at .354, and flirted with .400 fairly late into the season. Importantly, he also hit for power, adding a .469 slugging percentage thanks to 43 extra base hits. For a Padres team that's relying heavily on Tyler Wade, Graham Pauley, Eguy Rosario and Jose Azocar, he brings significantly higher upside.

The full trade sends prospects Dillon Head, Jakob Marsee, Nathan Martorella and, oddly, 2023-2024 offseason reliever signing Woo Suk-Go to Miami for Arraez. It's an upgrade for the Padres current lineup. But it's also a strange fit for a roster that already has too many infielders and players out of position.

May 1, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez (3) throws to first to retire Colorado Rockies right fielder Sean Bouchard (not pictured) during the third inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego Padres Going For It Yet Again

Arraez played some outfield in his days in Minnesota, but has spent 168 of 188 games in Miami at second base. He played first for the remaining 20. The Padres already moved Xander Bogaerts to second base, and pushed former second baseman Jake Cronenworth to first last season when Bogaerts signed.

With Manny Machado entrenched at third, former shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. in right, former shortstop Jackson Merrill in center and former infielder Jurickson Profar in left, riding a (mostly unsustainable) hot start, where exactly does Arraez fit in?

Ostensibly the Padres will have him DH, while giving Bogaerts or current shortstop Ha-Seong Kim a breather here and there. While Arraez's bat to ball skills are virtually unmatched in the modern game, as a DH, his batting value plummets. Because the offensive bar at DH is so high, it takes an elite hitter to transcend the "position." 

As an example, J.D. Martinez last season in Los Angeles hit .271/.321/.572 with 33 homers and a .369 wOBA and was worth all of 2.4 wins for the Dodgers. While Arraez has a solid track record, his current .719 OPS would be well into the bottom half of the league.

Arraez may improve throughout the year, and San Diego will retain control for next year too. But it's a risky move, filling a position that could have been filled earlier, and likely with a better fit. Head is the centerpiece of the return, a former first round pick in 2023. For a Marlins team that's been atrocious through the first month, it's a chance to build for the future without giving up too much team control of a valuable player.