Infielder Luis Arraez was one of the marquee free agents left on the board as February approached. Arraez reportedly came off on January 31, as the Giants have agreed to sign him on a one-year deal to keep him in the NL West.
A Look at Arraez
Infielder Luis Arraez entered the winter as one of the more interesting free agents in the market.
Arraez spent most of his last two seasons with the Padres after San Diego acquired him via trade in the spring of 2024. At the time, Arraez came off a year that saw him bat .354, a career-best 10 home runs, and a .393 on-base percentage. The veteran infielder fit in fine as a leadoff man for a Padres team that used him in said role, as he posted a .346 on-base percentage in 2024.
However, the 2025 campaign was an off one for the 28-year-old. Arraez slashed .292/.327/.392 with eight home runs and 42 extra-base hits over 154 contests. Yes, Arraez led the NL in total hits (181). However, his batting average and on-base percentages were career lows.
His .313 wOBA ranked 147th among the 242 players who had at least 350 plate appearances last season.
Arraez has made a living off his signature chop swing. It’s one of the shortest in the game, and while his bat speed is extremely low, he makes consistent contact. His 5.3% Whiff% was the lowest in Major League Baseball last season.
The big benefit to Arraez’s approach is that he can poke the ball to all fields. He’s a supreme contact hitter in that regard. However, Arraez doesn’t walk a lot and is an egregious chase hitter.
However, the other flaw in Arraez’s game is his defense. The 28-year-old does not have great foot speed and has largely been a below-average defender at second base. San Diego shifted him to play largely first base in 2025. Arraez posted a -7 Outs Above Average at first.
Per ESPN, the Giants have signed Luis Arraez to a one-year deal.
Analysis
This offseason, the Giants have focused, in part, on run prevention. San Francisco deepened its rotation and added speedster Harrison Bader, a plus defender. So, this move may be bizarre at first glance.
The Giants have been linked to second basemen throughout the offseason. Earlier in the winter, ESPN reported that the team was in on Brendan Donovan. However, that didn’t come to fruition, and now, the Giants may have their answer for now at a position where Tyler Fitzgerald and Casey Schmitt have spent time over the last few years.
After all, a report from MLB.com this past week indicated that Arraez preferred offers from teams that were willing to play him at second.
San Francisco doesn’t have a clear leadoff man on the roster. For much of 2025, the Giants used Heliot Ramos, who posted a .328 on-base percentage last season. Ramos has power. However, he is willing to expand out of the zone. And unlike Arraez, there was way more swing-and-miss.
If Arraez can hit as he did in 2023 and 2024, this move has the potential to bolster the Giants’ lineup. The goal for Arraez will be to hit his way on and set up for Willy Adames, Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman, etc. Because that’s been the one true way he’s been able to impact the game over the years.
Check out more of our MLB coverage.