Inside The Pinstripes

Should the Yankees Trade For Luis Arraez?

San Diego Padres infielder Luis Arraez could be a compelling trade candidate for the New York Yankees.

Grant Young

Sep 2, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Luis Arraez (4) is congratulated after scoring during the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Sep 2, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Luis Arraez (4) is congratulated after scoring during the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images / Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
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On December 12, sports journalist Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune wrote an article that said, "Multiple sources said the Padres have discussed trading designated hitter/first baseman Luis Arraez and others whose departures would provide some payroll flexibility that would allow the club to shore up other needs."

Even since this news about the Padres being willing to trade away Arraez — who hit .314 with a .738 OPS and 4 home runs last season — was released, there has been speculation about which teams would benefit from trading for him.

And on paper, the New York Yankees certainly seem like a compelling fit.

The most obvious reason why Arraez heading to the Bronx seems to make sense is because the Yankees lost Juan Soto this offseason, and the 27-year-old Arraez could help replace what New York will lose with Soto's absence.

That is not to say Arraez is as good as Soto, or that he will fill the void Soto is leaving behind. But because he's a left-handed hitter who thrives on making contact, he would fit well hitting in front of 2024 AL MVP Aaron Judge in the lineup's No. 2 hole, where Soto was last year.

There's no doubt that Arraez is a massive downgrade from Soto in terms of his power (4 regular season home runs in 2024 compared to Soto's 41) and his on-base percentage (.336 for Arraez compared to .419 for Soto).

But Arraez's defensive versatility (he has played every infield position as well as left and right field in his MLB career) and perennial potential to win a batting title would make him just about as good of a Juan Soto replacement as the Yankees could expect.

Time will tell whether the Yankees are interested in trading for Arraez.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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