The New York Yankees have signaled that Gleyber Torres is no longer part of their plans at second base. According to a recent report by Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Yankees are exploring potential replacements, including San Diego Padres utility player Luis Arraez.
“The Yankees are unquestionably a deeper team – and they’re not done, either. They’ve continued to discuss Luis Arráez with San Diego,” Passan reported.
Discussions between the Yankees and Padres reportedly involve a trade for Arraez, a three-time batting champion. Speculation about the trade intensified after Arraez’s cryptic response to a social media post referencing the potential move.
Known for his exceptional hitting ability, Arraez primarily excels at singles, which might not align well with Yankee Stadium’s characteristics. Statcast data reveals that Yankee Stadium is one of the least favorable ballparks for left-handed singles hitters due to its right-field design that favors home runs but offers limited grass for hits to drop. While Arraez could see a minor uptick in power numbers, his game focuses more on consistent singles and doubles rather than home runs.
On the defensive side, Arraez has significant shortcomings. In 339 innings at second base this past season, he recorded a minus-7 outs above average (OAA), matching Torres’ defensive performance over 1,300 innings at the same position. At third base, Arraez has accumulated a similar minus-7 OAA across 585 career innings. This defensive liability poses a challenge, especially since the Yankees have no room for him in the designated hitter role, which is occupied by Giancarlo Stanton.
Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman has emphasized the importance of improving the team’s defense, a goal that Arraez’s acquisition would not support. Additionally, Arraez’s below-average base running is another factor that doesn’t align with the Yankees’ needs.
Despite these concerns, Arraez offers solutions to two key issues for the Yankees: the lack of consistent on-base contributors and a reliable leadoff hitter. Even though he doesn’t walk often, Arraez maintains an impressive career on-base percentage of .372, which could benefit the Yankees’ lineup.
Acquiring Arraez would be a calculated risk for Cashman, who must weigh the benefits of improving the team’s offensive consistency against the defensive and base-running shortcomings. Ultimately, the decision hinges on whether the potential one-year rental is worth the gamble.
