Now with Padres, Luis Arraez still has love for Twins, Minnesota

Arraez gets to catch up with many of his former teammates this week.

Jul 30, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres designated hitter Luis Arraez (4) celebrates after hitting a double during the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. / David Frerker-USA TODAY Sports

The Twins' three-game series in San Diego this week — which began with a 5-3 loss on Monday – provides another opportunity for Luis Arraez to catch up with some of his old teammates. The two-time batting champion is enjoying his current situation with a winning team, but he still has a lot of love for the Twins and Minnesota.

Arraez told reporters on Monday that he "cried a lot" when the Twins traded him two winters ago. He said he still follows the team and is able to watch some games due to the time difference on the west coast. He also noted that he still has his apartment in Minneapolis and can't wait to make a return trip to Target Field as a visitor eventually.

Luis Arraez definitely still feels an affinity for Minnesota. He said pregame that the time difference in San Diego helps him watch some Twins games, and he was bringing up names of young guys on the team he was excited to see, like Festa and Zebby.

— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) August 20, 2024

Luis Arraez has been catching up with Twins players and coaches during batting practice. pic.twitter.com/kWuhlGPQKp

— Betsy Helfand (@betsyhelfand) August 19, 2024

Arraez signed with the Twins in 2013 as a 16-year-old from Venezuela. He made his major league debut in 2019 and was an All-Star in 2022 when he won the AL batting title. But in January 2023, the Twins made the difficult decision to trade Arraez to the Marlins for Pablo Lopez.

After hitting a whopping .354 last season to win another batting title, Arraez was traded from the struggling Marlins to the Padres in early May of this year. Despite playing through a thumb injury and not reaching the same levels of success he did over the last two seasons, he's hitting .304 and is right on the heels of Atlanta's Marcell Ozuna (.309) for the NL lead in batting average.

“They still are my friends,” Arraez said of players like Carlos Correa, Jose Miranda, and Max Kepler, per The Athletic's Dan Hayes. "I played my whole career there. I never forgot Minnesota. I miss Minnesota. … I can’t wait to go there."

The Twins traveled to Miami last season when Arraez was with the Marlins and are currently in San Diego. Assuming he remains with the Padres next season, he'll make his return to Minneapolis at some point in 2025.

Another player who got to catch up with old teammates on Monday was Donovan Solano, who has appeared in 66 games for the Padres this season after a career year with the Twins in 2023.

Arraez said he still hasn't sold his apartment near Target Field. He and Donovan Solano held court for a long time on the field pregame with their old Twins teammates. https://t.co/WA7PbQqQ2b

— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) August 20, 2024