6:39pm: Jon Heyman of the New York Post pushes back against the Arraez fit, reporting that the Yankees don’t see him as a fit for the moment. Lux, meanwhile, is being traded to Cincinnati.
1:03pm: The Yankees have already had a busy offseason but aren’t done yet. Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that they have had discussions with the Padres about Luis Arráez and the Dodgers about Gavin Lux, with either a possibility to take over the second base job in the Bronx. Jon Morosi of MLB Network says the Mariners, who are known to be looking for infield upgrades, have checked in on Lux as well.
For the Yanks, their infield took a couple of hits at the end of the 2024 season, with Anthony Rizzo and Gleyber Torres both hitting free agency, leaving holes at first and second base. They have since taken care of first by signing Paul Goldschmidt, but another infield upgrade would make sense.
The versatility of Jazz Chisholm Jr. gives them some flexibility. He largely played third base after being acquired last year but has plenty of experience at the keystone, meaning the Yanks could add either a second or third basemen, with Chisholm taking over whichever position is not addressed. They’ve been connected to free agent Alex Bregman and trade candidate Nolan Arenado as potential third base additions but appear to be exploring second base candidates as well.
Arráez is a logical trade candidate from San Diego’s perspective and something they have reportedly considered. RosterResource currently projects the Padres for a $210MM payroll this year, well beyond last year’s $169MM figure. While a payroll bump is reportedly possible, it’s been suggested they need to get their 2025 spending closer to 2024 levels. They are also projected to be just above the competitive balance tax and likely want to dip below that if they are going to be cutting payroll.
However, many of their players are difficult to move for contractual reasons. Many have no-trade clauses or hefty remaining guarantees or both. They also have a number of spots on the roster that could use upgrades.
Last winter, a similar set of circumstances led to the Friars parting ways with Juan Soto and Trent Grisham, sending them to the Yankees. The five players they received in return allowed them to shore up their depth in different areas while also offloading notable salary commitments.
Arráez, 28 in April could perhaps follow the same path this year. Like Soto last offseason, he is currently one year away from free agency and set to make a notable salary in his final season of club control. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects Arráez to earn $14.6MM in 2025. That’s about half of what Soto was set to earn in 2024 but still a notable chunk of change for a team with budgetary constraints.
Though the projected salary is significantly lower, Arráez will still have far less appeal as a trade candidate than Soto did. Despite his elite bat-to-ball skills, Arráez is a limited player. He doesn’t take walks or add much power and is also not an asset defensively. Despite three straight batting titles, his .323/.372/.418 career batting line adds up to a wRC+ of 120, indicating his overall offensive contributions have been about 20% above average. Soto, on the other hand, has a .285/.421/.532 line and 158 wRC+ in his career.
The aforementioned defensive limitations are also something the Yankees will have to consider with Arráez. The Twins started using him more at first base in 2022 before trading him to the Marlins. With the Fish in 2023, Arráez got his largest sample of work at second and produced four Defensive Runs Saved but also -11 Outs Above Average. The Padres acquired him early in the 2024 season and only put him at the keystone for 58 innings the rest of the way.
The Yankees would have to weigh his defensive limitations against the attraction of putting his bat into the lineup, while also factoring in the money. RosterResource projects their competitive balance tax number at $303MM for this year, which is already above the fourth and final tier. As a third-time payor at that level, the Yanks face a 110% tax on any additional spending and would therefore have to pay about $30MM to employ Arráez this year. Of course, the Padres would also want something in return, though the cost savings might be their top priority at the moment.
As for Lux, it’s unclear if the 27-year-old is even available but it’s understandable why the Yanks would pick up the phone and check, as the Dodgers seem to be overloaded with middle infield options. They are planning to have Mookie Betts act as their everyday shortstop and committed themselves to that path by signing Teoscar Hernández and Michael Conforto to fill their corner outfield jobs, with guys like Andy Pages and Dalton Rushing also in the mix.
With Tommy Edman seemingly ticketed for the center field job, that leaves them with Betts at short and Lux at second, with Miguel Rojas and Chris Taylor around as bench/utility guys. They added even further depth by signing Hyeseong Kim a few days ago. Reportedly, the club still plans to use Betts and Lux as their primarily middle infielders, but perhaps the Kim signing increases the chances of the Yankees prying Lux loose.
If they succeeded, they would be getting something of an unknown quantity. Lux has had an up-and-down career thus far, but with some encouraging up arrows. Through the end of the 2021 season, he had a tepid batting line of .233/.314/.368, which led to an 86 wRC+. He took a noticeable step forward in 2022, slashing .276/.346/.399 for a 113 wRC+, but then missed all of 2023 due to a torn ACL.
His 2024 season was a step back, in a sense, though he finished strong. He hit .251/.320/.383 for a wRC+ of 100 on the season overall but with a dismal .213/.267/.295 line in the first half and a robust .304/.390/.508 showing in the second, leading to respective wRC+ marks of 60 and 152 in those halves. His batting average on balls in play jumped over 100 points from the first half to the second, so it might not be entirely sustainable, but he also improved in terms of the quality of his batted balls. Defensively, the reviews are mixed. Both DRS and OAA gave Lux a negative grade at second base in 2024 but both have him in positive territory for his career overall.
Financially, Lux is more attractive than Arráez. Thanks to an inconsistent career and missing an entire season, Lux is projected to make just $2.7MM next year, with an extra year of club control beyond that as well. Given the Yankees’ CBT situation, that would be far more attractive, but it’s also valuable to the Dodgers for the same reason. Since the Dodgers don’t seem especially motivated to let go of Lux, the Yankees would have to send something of real value the other way.
For the Mariners, their infield needs are well known. They lost Justin Turner to free agency, turned down an option for Jorge Polanco and non-tendered Josh Rojas. Apart from shortstop J.P. Crawford, little is settled on the dirt in Seattle. They have some internal options, such as Luke Raley for first base. He would need a right-handed platoon partner, which could come in the form of bringing back Turner. At second, they reportedly have some willingness to ride with Dylan Moore and Ryan Bliss until prospect Cole Young is ready to take over.
That has made it seem more likely that the club would add at third base, though bringing in a second baseman is still a consideration. The M’s were connected to Cubs’ second baseman Nico Hoerner earlier this winter, for instance, and are seemingly open to Lux as well. Lux does have some third base experience, but only six innings in the majors, so he would be a far more logical solution at the keystone.
His low projected salary is surely appealing to the Mariners, though for different reasons than the Yankees. Seattle reportedly has about $15MM to play with this offseason, a tight enough budget that Luis Castillo rumors have been swirling for quite a while. A Castillo trade would weaken the rotation but would open up some more spending capacity, perhaps to go after a player like Bregman or Arenado, though trading for Lux might be a more straightforward solution. That would allow the M’s to keep their strong rotation intact, though they would perhaps have to give the Dodgers some notable prospect capital in order to move Lux up the coast.
Arraez is always interesting. He basically does one thing very well (which is hitting singles). Does he do anything else above average? Is he a team leader in the clubhouse? I know teams value that greatly. Would he be a good help with other Spanish speaking teammates?
“Would he be a good help with other Spanish speaking teammates?”
What do you mean by that? Without even looking I’m guaranteeing you that the Yankees have 15+ players/coaches whose primary language is Spanish.
He’s a great hitter. Who cares about singles. And he’s a solid infielder.
This is definitely the kind of batting title caliber bat and OBS the Yankees desperately need to cover Soto’s absence. Goldy Volpe and Jazz aren’t going to cut it lmao let’s see if Goldy can squeeze one last drop of talent out of that bat.
I read he’s a butcher with the glove. Is that not the case?
He was solid for SD, especially in the playoffs.
Yes, I’ve heard the same, below average fielder.
Below average fielder is giving him too much credit. He’s a butcher with the glove. No speed. No baserunning skills. No power. Just an overpriced one dimensional player just like Soto.
LOL. A -18.1 defensive WAR is not a solid infielder.
Well, if you believe that Soto is “one dimensional” then your comment is definitely taken with a context…….
The average is excellent, but no walks and no power. Lousy fielder. Just say no to that deal.
Lol who needs walks if your career batting average is .323?
@baseballfreak
LMAO people are so emotional
His OPS is maybe average, he just doesn’t walk! And as a second baseman he’s a barely decent first baseman, or DH.
Felding Statistics:
• 2024 Season:
• Primary Positions: First Base (69 games), Second Base (42 games)
• Fielding Percentage: .995 at First Base, .980 at Second Base
• Career (as of 2024):
• Games at Second Base: 250
• Fielding Percentage at Second Base: .975
These statistics indicate that Arraez is a reliable defender, particularly at first base, where his fielding percentage is notably high. 
Defensive Evaluation:
While Arraez’s defensive metrics are solid, some analyses suggest that his range and arm strength may not be as strong as his offensive skills. For instance, a scouting report notes that his arm is “average at best,” and his speed is “below-average,” though he possesses “soft hands” and “constant energy.” 
Additionally, discussions around potential trades have raised concerns about his defensive fit, particularly at second base, where comparisons have been made to other players with defensive challenges. 
In summary, while Luis Arraez is a versatile infielder with a dependable glove, especially at first base, some evaluations suggest that his defensive capabilities may not be as pronounced as his exceptional hitting skills.
Arraez is arguably the worst defense second baseman and the worst defensive positional player in all of baseball. He makes Torres look like a gold glove second baseman. He truthfully is a DH and the Yankees have a DH. He can’t run, he’s possibly the slowest footed positional player even slower than half the catchers in the league. He doesn’t walk, he’s possibly has limited pop so what is he? He is a one dimensional player who has to play in a ball park that will benefit his singles slap hitting approach. He clogs up bases after he gets on so he’s not a true leadoff hitter. If the Yankees were trading minimal prospects for him yes take a shot and maybe he platoons at DH in playoffs with Stanton but he will not be the everyday second baseman in the playoffs and the Yankees goal is to get back to the World Series. This move makes no sense for the Yankees taking on 13m for a guy that doesn’t fit other than high contact rate. His contract will rebate them over the cohen tax threshold. Hard pass.
I’ll add that position players who can’t run, especially when they are young don’t age well. Arraez will be in baseball a long time though. As a pinch-hitter.
He’s impossible to strike out, that is his true calling card. Contact.
Yea. He’s right there with Soto. Doesn’t have the Soto power but he can play his position well unlike Soto. And yes he also speaks Spanish lol not sure why that matters to that dude lmao the whole world speaks English and Spanish. Great. lol
I wouldn’t call him a butcher at second, but he does not play his position well. Unless you mean DH, where defensively he’s league average.
I wonder what a DH has to do to be below-average def DH. Not cheer or not on top step of dugout? Contribute more than his fair share of seeds lining dugout floor?
By definition they are all league average, but it kills it when you have to step all over the joke and explain it.
Contact is all that it takes
To change your life, to lose your place in time
Contact, asleep or awake
Coming around you may wake up to find
Questions deep within your eyes
Now more than ever, you realize
Unfortunately, he also makes contact on a lot of pitches he shouldn’t, which is why he’s consistently near the top of the leaderboard for GIDP every year.
He always seems to have a great energy and guys seem to love playing w him.
Arráez makes sense for the Yankees. Doesn’t strike out, and is always on base with slow speed for those homerun hitters they got.
@Running
I don’t know about the Spanish teammates part but I do know he’s very very good friends with Jazz. I would to see their chemistry play out with Jazz batting first and Arraez second. Put Judhe batting 3rd and the Yanks should be able to score at least 1 run every 1st inning.
Thank you Sheel.
Arraez would have bnen the first domino to fall in the Seidler brothers directed fire sale.
I would take Arraez on the Rays immediately. No questions asked.
We forget how mediocre some hitters have become these days (or maybe pitchers are just getting better). Seems like most teams are filled with league average or below average hitting. Teams so value hitting singles and contact, especially with men in scoring position.
OMG the Mariners are going to get the carpet pulled out from under them again…This is getting comical lol
Yankees are not getting Arraez unless they unload DJL or Stroman. They are not adding more salary. So so many false rumors.
@mlbnyyfan It’s no secret that the Yankees want to add an infield starter. They also don’t plan on dumping DJL until otherwise.
I hope they trade Stroman. He’s a bust. But SD won’t take him. They want to lower payroll. DJ lost his swing. He was the original Arraez lol and had some power too. DJ was a batting title hitter ad a gold glove fielder. Wouldn’t it be amazing if he bounced back this year and played a solid 3b and hits .278 with 20 HRs
It would also be amazing if Josh Donaldson returned and hit 30 home runs for the 2025 Yankees. 😉
@178
Stroman was not a bust. He pitched to a 4.31 ERA with the worst defense in baseball behind him during his starts. He was signed as a mid to back end starter and delivered on what he was signed to do.
Moving Stroman would help on salary. He is a league average 4th or 5th. Starter. Waiting until trade deadline would not be worst thing. Would I rather he
Be traded now, yes.
@178
No way he’s a bust. Maybe overpaid but he’s a #3 or #4 on at least 20 mlb teams. I bet there aren’t more than 60 SP with 150 IP and ERA uber 4.30. If the Yanks ate $8 mil he’d be a solid acquisition
mlbnyyfan It may or may not happen but this is a report from Jeff Passen, not Jon Heyman. There is some credibility to this. If Passen is reporting it then there is some real interest.
@mlb
It’s only a 1 year deal, so if the Yanks have to pay 100% tax on what’s likely to be a $15 mil contract, they may not care since it’s only a 1 year hit. They have $$ coming off the books next year, so maybe they’ll extend him and be under the cap next year.
Mariners need to stake a claim of position on top of the carpet first.
The Mariners can’t afford carpet they live in the Dipoghetto…
Surely the bc Yanks would prefer the guy whose career is on the downswing. Youngsters like Lux is very much off brand.
@chief
Bruhhhh. Arraez turned 28 in April. Lux turned 27 in November. Arraez is only 5 months older. And all though he’s a weak hitting and low walking hitter his OPS was still 40 points higher than Lux. Lux is slightly better with the glove at 2b but he’s no good glove winner either. He takes below average at 2b. WAR hates guys like Arraez but I’ll take 200 hits, elite level bat to ball skills and a OBP north of .350. He would be excellent in the #2 spot with Judge ahead of him. I don’t know if Jazz has it in him to draw me walks but if he could get on base 36% of the time he and Arraez would be great batting 1 and 2.
They’re both hacks, keep looking. Ahahahaha!
I really think the Yankees need a 3b more than anything. Playing Chisholm at 3b is risky there is a reason that guys never transition to 3b unless they formerly play shortstop.
He was drafted as a SS and played it almost exclusively in the minors. He it played well enough last year. Becoming a competent 3b can only improve his arbitration cases the next 2 years and ultimately his free agency in ’27. At least he appears to embrace the opportunity, unlike Mr Torres.
He hasn’t played shortstop in years. Yeah it’s all fine until he throws out his shoulder.
He played nothing but OF in ’23 and ’24 before the trade. CF is an odd position for someone to play if there is any concern about injuring a shoulder. He also played SS in ’21.
He probably shouldn’t have been playing center either. He’s a 2b. Play him at 2b.
Not sure what qualifies him as only a 2b but his metrics (albeit a third of the sample size) suggest he is or could be as good or better as a 3b. He looked decent for not having played the position professionally before. Certainly has the arm and he didn’t appear to be intimidated.
@Bita
Jazz like pretty decent playing a position that was literally thrown at him once arriving in NY. I would assume he went into the off-season expecting, or at least preparing, to play 3b this year. I’m sure he is the kind of kid that takes that serious. I’m not concerned with him playing 3b, if needed. If it’s an in-house guy like Cabrera them if move Jazz back to 2nd where he’s likely more familiar with.
@Bita
defensively, he’s ranked a 9 War in CF, a 9.2 at 2b and a 5 last year at 3b.
Nobody moves to 3b unless they were playing shortstop prior to moving. It’s because it’s hard on the shoulder and arm.
Yankees play in the best city,best stadium,have best fans, and have the most diverse fan base
Stadium is kinda ‘meh’.
And it got them nothing last season.
They made a huge profit. That is the point of business.owned
But you don’t see any of that money lol.
Yes I do. The invisible hand
Exactly, that’s why I laugh when people say cashman is a bad GM.
THE CASHMAN YEARS
1998 Yankee franchise value aprx 500 million
current Yankee franchise value 7 Billion+
@Cash, and you give Cash credit for that. You probably think he’s a good GM. Cash has made a career on what Stick built.
Thanks I needed a good chuckle today.
you mean the city that’s now charging people $15 to enter certain parts of the city? Some might call that a poophole city!
Fake news
Hey Mariners! Hey! Anyone there?
They can’t answer the phone. Too busy sitting on their hands…
DiPoto is getting ready to play “the stranger”
Lights are on, but no one is home.
The Seattle Mariners are getting so irrelevant, whenever I type in “mariners” in my Youtube search box, the top hits that I get back are for the Maine Mariners, a low minors hockey club. For me, it’s been happening since mid-December or so. Fun times.
I don’t get it. The owners and other execs of the Padres said they want to be somewhere between the 2023 and 2024 payrolls. They say that level of spending is sustainable for them. That is where they are right now. So the media thinks that means they need to cut payroll? Make it make sense.
The Yankees have a good and young 2B in Chisholm that was only at 3B because he was blocked by Torres. Torres is now gone. There are 3B available on the FA and trade markets. So of course the media says the Yankees are in on a 3B, right? Of course not. They are trading for a 2B. Make it make sense.
I don’t think the Yankees are excited to pay for the 3b available. They can get a majority of the 3b production from one of the 2b for a fraction of the cost.
Excited? What does that have to do with making it make sense?
They can put Chisholm at 2B where he is a plus defender and get a good defensive 3B
OR
They can trade for a poor defensive 2B and put Chisholm at 3B where he was pretty bad on defense.
Which one makes sense?
As they’re looking to add either a 2B or a 3B, it does make sense with Jazz’ position flexibility. Jazz was pretty good at 3B for his first rodeo. Rumors are going to keep persisting until that hole gets plugged. Bregman is off the table and likely Arenado as well for the commitment required. So if the Yankees are looking for a 2-2.5 WAR infielder, 2B would be least costly.
Believe me, I hope they do something incredibly stupid like put Chisholm back at 3B to save a few sheckels. He is a great 2B and a bad 3B.
If Breslow pulls his head out and signs Bregnan or trades for Arenado that might actually give the Red Sox a chance to catch up to the Yankees.
Jazz was learning a new position on the fly. His range and arm strength is there. Now he needs to work on his timing and glovework if he’s going to stay at 3B.
every defensive metric disagrees with you on jazz at third base
Red Sox can also dump players before free agency (Betts, Bogart, Sale) Denver’s great hitter. But butcher with a glove.
@dasit +6 OAA, -2 DRS, 87% percentile arm strength. Are we looking at something different?
DRS is -2. That is the only complete defensive metric. Chisholm was bad at 3B. At 2B he is a 7 DRS. That is good. That is where he should be playing. Especially when there are players available that are much better than he is at 3B but none on the market as good at 2B.
As a Red Sox fan I am hoping the Yankees compound their mistakes by bringing in a 2B that is not as good as he is while playing him where he is not at his best while better players are available at 3B.
OAA measures range. Good range does not mean good defense. DRS measures defensive ability. -2 means below average.
NYY and the 8 highest total salary teams have at least 2 problems to balance.
They don’t want to have to give up any more draft picks with players who received a QO like Bregman AND they want to stay under the CBA threshold OR at least be in the lowest tier
I think the Yankees should definitely trade for Luis Arraez for 2B. That would put them over the top. The Yankees would have the most versatile and complete lineup that they’ve had in a very long time. And he’s not as bad as everyone thinks he is on the field. Hey, he’s won 3 batting titles, how much of a negativity can he be? Getting on base in front of Judge all the time is a bonus. He’s what they need.
Will Warren or Chase Hampton for Arraez?
Both! Plus Grisham and Jorbit Vivas if you include Merill.
This is a family website, so I’ll politely decline this “offer” instead of blurting out what I want to say, YBC!
(hits force-trade button)
Lux has solid value because he’s a ML-average player with upside whose salary is a bargain for an everyday player (because he’s home-grown). The Dodgers love depth and positional flexibility and have no glaring holes. But with Taylor, Rojas, and Kim all under contract without positions, he is certainly expendable for bullpen help.
Man, the idea of the Yankees getting Aarez is tempting. Two issues come to mind. They just signed Fried to a huge contract who is primarily a ground ball pitcher and they still have Stroman who is also a ground ball pitcher. Is Aarez’s defense that awful? Is he better than Torres was? Can Vope help cover more ground?
The idea of him batting lead off changes things a lot for the Yankees.
He’s not better than Torres defensively.
He may not be better at the keystone per se, but Arraez won’t butcher anything. He’s solid, average age at worst.
*average fielder at worst
He’s absolutely not average at worst in the field. He consistently grades as one of the worst defensive 2B in the game by multiple metrics, and it’s obvious to most people who watch.
There’s a handful of San Diego fans who scout like Stevie Wonder, though.
Stevie is a fake. He can see
He does just fine at 1B and serves as manageable at 2B. Step away from the ledge, Cam.
No ledge here – he doesn’t play for my team.
Outside of his rookie season Arraez has been better than average. A rookie season in which he played 2B, SS, 3B, and LF.
Arraez has a 6 DRS at 2B over the last 4 years, 4 DRS the last 3 years. Do you know who was bad at 2B? Gleyber Torres with a -14.
Arraez has poor range but range is not all that is involved in defense.
That you claim to watch and don’t know that is not a good sign.
Yankees are likely to overpay for Arráez. both in salary and CBT penalties, and in prospect talent going back. That’s why I expect Cashman to do it. An expensive, inadequate fit is his specialty for this type of hole.
Does NYY even have any attractive trade pieces for Lux?
I don’t think so
I wouldn’t want Lux but for the Dodgers they are looking to free up 40 man roster space. they would probably just want a few prospects in return who aren’t Rule V eligible yet.
Lux was the centerpiece of the Devon Williams offer that he thought he was getting traded to LA for. They are gonna want more that “a couple of prospects”. Gavin was a borderline all-star candidate before his missed season and puts up solid production at a very low price.
@Dodger Dog, “a borderline all-star candidate.” What a great compliment. I hope the former NYC team extends him for better than borderline all-star money. Most of it deferred, of course.
looks like he went to the Reds for a couple of prospects… Dodgers have 40 man roster issues & just DFAed a 23 year old former top prospect catcher
yep… I was right
“Los Angeles Dodgers receive a Competitive Balance Round A pick (around No. 37) and outfield prospect Mike Sirota” per Jeff Passan…
now they have an open 40 man roster spot.
Sirota who the Dodgers drafted in 2021 but he did not sign, went to college & Reds drafted him in 2024 so he’s not needed Rule V protection for a while
the cupboard is pretty bare
depends who you ask – Fangrpahs has Yankees as 8th best farm system
should have qualified close-to-mlb-ready cupboard is bear
true, Volpe, Wells, Rice & Dominguez recently graduated and the only available spots right now are 2B or 3B and bullpen
A mlb average player. I’m sure they could find one.
Anyone trading for Lux must be incredibly desperate, as he’s unplayable against LHP and a substandard defender at the one position he can even passably field (2B).
And the 2024 splits mentioned in the piece above don’t even tell the whole story. Outside of a blistering six-week run just before and after the ASB, Lux was his dependably mediocre self at the plate, as in September, he posted a .657 OPS and a 97 wRC+ (albeit in 58 ABs, because LA had finally stopped playing him against lefties).
I will always feel a bit bad for Lux, as it wasn’t his fault that he was overrated as a prospect and then–in the biggest blunder by the Dodgers FO since Trevor Bauer–was penciled in as LA’s starting SS (!!) before that mistake was rectified midway through spring.
He’ll solve someone’s 2B issue, and perhaps hit a little too. Just don’t expect…much of anything, really..
First half of the season was Lux working his way back into playing shape after not playing for a year. It remains to be seen if he’s the first half player or the second half.
@Dropped
But we saw in September that he’s just who’s always been–an defensively limited platoon bat.
A blistering six-week stretch shouldn’t be mistaken for a “great second half,” because it demonstrably wasn’t…..
Well I guess if what you saw in September is what he is then there’s nothing left to say…
Or the Dodgers can wait until July and see what they’ve got.
@CommentsSectionCommenter — IMO you hit the nail on the head. I like the guy but he had Yankees-level amounts of hype ‘n’ hopium piled upon him early and I’ve never seen whatever Friedman et al. see, though it’s usually a good bet to trust them.
No thank you on Lux. He offers nothing that Waldo can’t provide. Arraez? He’s a butcher in the field, but he can play 2B, 1B and LF to some extent….and I LOVE him leading off. Judge will hit 30 two run dongs next year.
Arraez, Judge, Bellinger, Stanton, Jazz, Goldy, Martian, Wells and Volpe is a solid lineup considering the starting pitching.
What would REALLY get me excited is trading for Arraez AND somehow landing Sasaki! That lineup above with Cole, Fried, Sasaki, Rodon and Gil would be the best rotation in the AL and challenge LA for the best overall.
Arraez doesn’t get on base all that much more than Lux.
Look at contact and strikeout rate. Contrary to the younger generation…..THAT matters!
Look at speed on the basepaths, that matters.
How often does Arraez GIDP? How often does he miss the opportunity to go to third on a single to right, or get held on a close throw at home that someone with even average speed would score on?
He’s a station to station player, and even with that batting average he isn’t an on-base machine. He’s extremely limited.
If you think Lux is better than Arraez, you’re a nit wit.
Doesn’t matter anyway, Lux went to Cincy.
arraez makes zero sense for the yankees. they have a full-time first baseman and dh and cut ties with gleyber based on his second base defense
Why has Arráez been getting passed around the league like the dutchie on the left hand side? The man is a hitting machine. Yes it’s mostly singles, but baserunners are baserunners.
@monkeys
Hes honestly not that good.
Terrible defender, terrible baserunner, consistently near the top of GIDP leaderboards because he swings at bad pitches, zero power, and because of his poor pitch recognition (and desire to swing at everything), his OBP was only .346 last year despite the average.
He basically has to hit .350 to be productive, because everything else is bad.
His OBP isn’t that good given how many singles he hits. Very few walks, lots of DP’s. His type used to be common and part of the moneyball revolution was to recognize the type as not all that valuable. That was long ago now.
@Monkey’s — early frontrunner for Best Musical Youth Allusion of the Year. Take tomorrow off—you’ve earned it.
Arraez and Robert Suarez for Schmidt, Rice and Cabrera.
No thanks Dan!
As a Padres fan, I would be sad to see Arraez traded. I suspect the thumb injury that he dealt with last season negatively impacted his results but he was still very useful batting leadoff. With the surgery he had in October he should be even better in 2025. Will be interesting to see if AJ can get a decent return for last year’s “investments” in Cease and Arraez, etc. but that probably won’t happen until Sasaki signs (probably Dodgers but we’ll see).
It’s amazing that we live in a point in baseball history where a career .323 hitter, winner of three batting titles, is not appealing. I guess it’s too bad he doesn’t hit .200 with a weekly highlight bat flip.
If he could hit a few homers, play reliable defense, and draw more than a walk a week, then maybe they’d keep him.
It’s amazing that it’s 2025, and there are still people who can’t get their head around baseball being about more than batting average.
So true.
Let’s get a little nuts here……
Luis Gil, Spencer Jones and Ben Rice for Arraez and Cease. Who says no….if anyone?
Padres would likely say yes to that. The Yankees would want more. They hats just my guess.
Yankees would never ever do that! They won’t trade Gil!
You know Yanks are going for that but no way they are actually going to land both or either honestly. It would take a Dominguez (no way they are doing that but a mistake) or some of their other top chips. Yanks FO is eugengly incompetent
I do, on Yankees side. No way.
yankees. they’re hugging gil and can’t bring themselves to give up on jones
What is Arraez even worth? Yeah, he got fantastic contact skills, but that’s it. He could even harm your defense. Why would the Yankees include Gil??? To get Arraez and one year of Cease? Absolutely not. There is no need to trade for Cease. And the Yankees didn’t even trade Gil for Tucker. They already lost King last year for an one year rental. Maybe Arraez for Jones or Lombard.
as someone who started following baseball in the 70s it’s been hard for me to accept the limitations of batting average as a marker of value but even i understand that arraez is a uniquely problematic player
They should of signed Kim zzzzzzzzz
Hex naw. They are going to give Peraza a real look this season it looks like
Lux is almost redundant on the Dodgers roster at this point, however I’m not sure if Yankees Stadium is the best place for a guy that suffered a case of the yips last season and had to be moved off of SS.
I would hate to see the Yankees get Arraez as he is such a tough hitter to get out
Let’s see chances of either of theirs players ending up in New York via trade… less than zero
Pass on Arraez. Lux is the move for the Yankees. He’s entering his peak and YS will add a few homers to his stats. He’s good with the glove as well. Arraez isn’t good on D and he’ll command a bigger trade package. I’d dump Will Warren and Everson Pereira on the Dodgers for Lux ASAP.
Arraez will command a considerably lesser trade return, due to his salary and control.
I honestly don’t think Lux is available until he plays his way off the roster or until Kim demonstrates he can hit MLB pitching.
As of today, Rojas, Taylor, and Kim are not starters and Edman is married to CF. Dodgers are win now and there’s no one on the roster that makes them better by moving Lux
You were sayin’?
His butterfingers strikes again!
His comment didn’t age well. Heck, it didn’t even have time to age!
In his defense (or lackthereof), most of ours don’t either.
1. Gimme all the Arraez. Please. I’ve been saying Luis from day one of this offseason.
2. Lux isn’t all that. Inflated prospect pedigree.
Gimme the dude that’ll consistently get on base in front of the big hitters. I don’t care if Luis the same or worse as Gleyber on D. He’s going lengthen that lineup and score a million runs. Lux will be a bottom of the order hitter that won’t be much of an upgrade to DJ.
Lux is a much more valuable player than Arraez.
Yeah, no I don’t see it. What exactly has he done to warrant even thinking that? While Arraez has won two batting titles. Both are 27, and only one has completely proven his worth.
He’s won three, and what’s he’s done is expose his limitations
The padres seem loaded at middle infield making them seem poised to deal Arraez before the season
Three better than 2!
Arraez is not a middle infielder (not a playable one anyhow). He’s a 1B/DH.
Yankees need pitching. Trust me they will need pitching
The yanks have some excellent young players
They need to give the, a chance
Agree–I really don’t want to bring in an expensive, limited veteran
Wouldn’t really be interested in either Arraez or Lux. They really should try for Brenden Donovan or Luis García Jr. Both lefty hitters, not making a ton of money and still have multiple years left.
As for Stroman, they really shouldn’t have to pay down much (if anything). His salary isn’t that much more than mid-rotation guys have been getting this off-season. I’d imagine the Braves, Athletics, Giants, Tigers and Blue Jays could all use him.
I like Donovan. Solid player. Versatile as well. The lefty, not making a ton of money, and contract are the reasons why I wanted Kim before he signed with LA.
Lux to the Reds…they don’t have enough infielders.
Looks like Padres are going to be stuck with Arraez according to Heyman.
Last time Heyman was right was… well, I can’t remember!
Let me push back, Heyman. He fits rather perfectly and we can possibly ship Stroman there as past of it as the Pads could use the pitching.
NYY would have to send cash to cover the whole Stroman contract except the league minimum at the very least for that to happen.
It’s not that dire. Backend starters are getting ~$15M in free agency.
Not in SD.
Quite true.
Arraez is under water. He isn’t worth what he’s being paid.
In that event, the Padres should just DFA him as opposed to offering arb, dontcha think?
They gave up a lot of prospects for him. Need to recover something for that move. Playing him and try to save $ elsewhere like Suarez being moved would be better than a DFA.
Dumping Arraez on the Yankees would be a smart move for the Padres. The man refuses to take a walk. Given his defensive liabilities and inability to hit for power, Arraez is just not very valuable.
I’m thinking either there is a Boras client Scott is trying to sell the Yankees on so he told his mouth piece to pour cold water on the subject, or Heyman is completely wrong and a trade is forthcoming
Arraez is worst than Steve Sax
Not that bad.
“he doesn’t take walks”
Geez, come on, no one is going to walk a singles hitter. Everything is over the plate to a hitter like him, which is why he puts the ball in play 90% of the time. He still sports a great OBP.
So what if he doesn’t sport power, he sets up power by getting on so much.
Everything is about wRC+ as the defining attribute which is foolish because baseball is not an isolated game of occurrences, it is not fantasy league baseball, it is a game of interconnecting events where values rise and fall depending on the frequency.
I’ll give you a quick example. If I asked, would you take a homer or three walks in your team’s half-inning of course you would take the homer and the normal and weighted values would agree.
But if I now offered to double that, two homers or six walks, now you take the six walks even though the normal and weighted values would remain unchanged and still rate the two homers over the six walks
This is why you don’t value a player individually but how he contributes to a team overall. A guy like Aareaz on the right team can increase the value of everything around him, turning Judge’s solo homer into a two-run homer.
Heyman is pushing back because he’s Boras’ mouthpiece and he wants to push Bregman as a 3B option with Jazz at 2B.
“The Yankees have had internal discussions about moving newly-acquired Paul Goldschmidt to play thirdbase leaving open the possibility of a Pete Alonso signing. Their front office remains divided and more talks continue.” /s
Gag post, right?
I feel it’s only a matter of time before the Mariners make a trade for Arráez. Basically it’s him because of process of elimination. Nobody is left after the Lux trade.
No way Stroman is worth zero in this market.
Only Padres fans think Yankees should take Arraez 15M (30M to NYY) and also pay Stroman’s full 18M. Then also add multiple prospects and/or cost controlled MLB players.
Arraez isn’t Juan Soto.
So don’t suggest sending Stroman if you want Arraez.
@Fan Dan – Don’t want Arraez. He’s a worst defender than Torres.
And I didn’t suggest Stroman to Padres for him. I realize Padres don’t want to take on salary so that isn’t a fit for Arraez. Both teams looking to love salary to make other moves.
Arraez is a good fit for the right team. Thinking of a team of great hitting position players but one that needs a DH. In other words he’s not nearly as valuable as many of you guys think.