Padres' Luis Arráez Reflects on Trade: 'I Cried A Lot'

Arráez has been traded twice in his MLB career already

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Luis Arráez reunited with his former team on Monday as the San Diego Padres earned a 5-3 win over the Minnesota Twins. Arráez, who signed with the Twins as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2013 at the age of 16, began his professional career in the Minnesota organization.

The 27-year-old spent nearly a decade with the Twins, rising through the organization's minor league system over the course of five years. He made his MLB debut with the Twins in 2019, and played with the major league team for nearly four seasons.

Arráez had his breakout campaign while with the Twins in 2022, becoming the American League batting champion, an All-Star, and a Silver Slugger winner for the first time in his career as he batted .316 with 173 hits over 144 games.

Despite putting in a career year, the Twins traded Arráez to the Miami Marlins in the offseason in exchange for Pablo López, José Salas, and Byron Chourio, a move that has held a lasting effect on Arráez.

“I cried a lot when (the Twins) traded me,” Arráez said, via The Athletic's Dan Hayes. “It was painful but it’s baseball. I understand. Baseball is a business. … It feels (like) a while because I played last year with Miami. I need to just stay focused. I don’t want to think about that. I want to still stay focused with my team right now.”

Arráez spent a little over a year with the Marlins before he was traded to the Padres in May 2024. The 27-year-old has continued his success in both stops, making an All-Star team the last two seasons, and finishing as the batting champion once again in 2023.

It's rare for an All-Star player to be traded twice before he reaches free agency. The twists and turns haven't stopped him from missing Minnesota.

“I played my whole career there,” Arráez said. “I never forgot Minnesota. I miss Minnesota. … I can’t wait to go there.”

In the first of three games against his former team Monday, Arráez scored one of the Padres' five runs. He is currently slashing .304/.338/.376 with three home runs and 34 RBIs, even as he plays with a torn ligament in his thumb.

Arráez is on pace to hit above .300 for the third consecutive season and ranks seventh in batting average. He ranks third in MLB with 151 total hits on the season.