What does arbitration mean for Luis Arraez and the Twins?
The Minnesota Twins shelled out a ton of money to keep Carlos Correa, Emilio Pagan and even Chris Paddack this week, but when it comes to the future of Luis Arraez it's a delicate situation.
With over three years of MLB service time, Arraez is eligible for arbitration for the first time. While teams usually try to strike a one-year deal to avoid going to an arbitrator, the Twins were unable to do so prior to Friday's deadline, prompting both sides to exchange figures on a 2023 salary.
According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, Arraez filed for a salary of $6.1 million. To the credit of Arraez and his agent Dan Lozano of MVP Sports, the number makes sense. Set to turn 26 on April 9, Arraez won his first batting title and made his first All-Star game last season and was instrumental to Minnesota's success prior to a late-season slide.
The Twins didn't see it that way, offering Arraez a salary of $5 million.
Before you scream at the front office, consider that MLB Trade Rumors projected Arraez to earn $5 million in arbitration. The Athletic's Dan Hayes also reports that the $6.1 million salary "was never close to happening," leading to the decision to head to arbitration.
The Twins' stance is also validated due to the pop-up nature of Arraez's season. While his .316 average was on par with his .314 career average, Arraez hit eight home runs after hitting six in his first three seasons in the majors and six home runs in seven major league seasons.
Even if Arraez has new-found power at the plate, his value as a high-average hitter might go down with the elimination of the shift. If the average goes up across baseball, Arraez's value could be altered, which affects his salary.
Outside of how much Arraez gets paid, the decision to go to arbitration could have an effect on the Twins' offseason plans. Hayes reported earlier this offseason that the Twins have been open to trading Arraez if there's a chance to acquire pitching, but without a salary number, teams wouldn't know what they're acquiring.
This means that the Twins won't be able to trade Arraez until February at the earliest, forcing the Twins to likely look to other assets to facilitate a deal.
In the end, Arraez's situation is a messy one with the Twins trying to prove that Arraez is less than what he's worth and Arraez trying to cash in before he's eligible for free agency in 2026.
The situation could also have an impact if the two sides attempt to work out a long-term agreement down the road, but the Twins already have a positive relationship with Boras after Correa's free agency saga.
Either way, both sides will play the waiting game and it will be interesting to see if Arraez cashes in.
