Getty The Marlins might try to offload two-time batting champ Luis Arráez in a trade. Giants manager Bob Melvin would probably love to have him.
The Miami Marlins are having a dreadful start to 2024. They’re 0-8 as of April 5, making them MLB’s last winless club. Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin of The Athletic have reported that infielder Luis Arráez and starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo could find themselves on the trade block.
If so, are the San Francisco Giants a viable landing spot for Arráez? Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer thinks so. Here’s the hypothetical trade proposal he put together:
- Giants receive: infielder Luis Arráez
- Marlins receive: LHP Carson Whisenhunt and first baseman Bryce Eldridge
Miami potentially getting Whisenhunt and Eldridge would give them two new top prospects. According to MLB Pipeline, both are currently among San Francisco’s top five (Whisenhunt is third and Eldridge is fourth).
While Eldridge is still in Single-A and a couple of years away from the majors (at best), Whisenhunt is much closer. He’s currently in Triple-A and should get promoted to the big leagues at some point during 2024.
Arráez would be an attractive trade target for a couple of reasons. His recent performance is one, but his contract situation is another. According to Spotrac, he’ll make $10.6 million in 2024, his third year of arbitration. The left-handed hitter also won’t hit free agency until after the 2025 season. So, any team interested in him wouldn’t just get a boost this year. They’d also get one the following campaign.
Does Luis Arráez Fit on the San Francisco Giants Right Now?
At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be room on the infield for Arráez by the Bay. But then again, the Giants have proven they’re willing to make room for the right fit.
Thairo Estrada is currently San Francisco’s starting second baseman. His 2024 campaign hasn’t gotten off to the best start. Through his first 28 plate appearances, Estrada is hitting .148/.143/.259 with one home run, five RBI and two runs scored.
This is a small sample size, but if Arráez becomes available on the trade market, it could be hard for the Giants to stay away. Arráez is also off to a slow start through 38 plate appearances, slashing .188/.316/.219. However, his recent track record shows he’ll likely start performing again soon.
He’s not only a two-time batting champion (2022 and 2023), but the 27-year-old has also been to two All-Star Games and has won two Silver Slugger Awards, per Baseball-Reference.
San Francisco didn’t really need to upgrade third base this past offseason with J.D. Davis expected to be the starter. However, they did anyway by signing four-time Gold Glover Matt Chapman, which ultimately led to Davis getting released.
Luis Arráez Would Continue the San Francisco Giants’ Lineup Transformation
San Francisco overhauled its lineup this past winter. This included signing Chapman, outfielder Jung Hoo Lee and designated hitter Jorge Soler via free agency.
First baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. is currently hitting second in the lineup behind Lee, according to FanGraphs’ Roster Resource. But if the Giants acquired Arráez, it would further transform the top of manager Bob Melvin’s order.
With his tremendous bat-to-ball skills (.335 batting average between 2022 and 2023), he’s currently hitting leadoff for the Marlins. It’d be safe to assume Arráez would take one of the two top spots in the Giants’ order should a trade come to fruition. That’d add more RBI opporunties for the middle of the lineup, which includes Soler, Chapman and Michael Conforto.
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