The New York Yankees have been one of the more active teams in MLB this offseason, especially after losing superstar outfielder Juan Soto in free agency to the New York Mets.
Since, the Yankees have added ace Max Fried, and veterans Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt to the roster, among others, to solidify one of the best 26-man rosters in the American League.
Spring Training is just around the corner, and the team does not seem to be done improving ahead of the 2025 campaign with the bad taste of losing on the Grandest Stage still on their tongue.
One move that has been widely rumored throughout the offseason has seen New York acquire Luis Arraez from the San Diego Padres. While many have clamored for the team to make the move, the Yankees would be far better suited to let this one pass.
While Arraez is a three-time batting champion, all coming in the last three seasons, hitting for average is the only thing that he brings to the table.
Starting with defense, the teams that Arraez has been on have had problems trying to find where to hide his glove and keep his bat in the lineup, with a -51 Outs Above Average mark across six years in MLB. The Padres had Arraez at first base in 2024, though Goldschmidt mans the position for New York and would not be moved just to get Arraez's bat in the lineup.
Offensively, Arraez does nothing spectacularly outside of finding gaps in the defense. He does not walk and does not barrel the ball up well, leading to unsightly hard-hit ball rates and exit velocities. He also ranks in the bottom third of MLB in sprint speed, further limiting his production and clogging the bases ahead of other guys in the lineup.
None of that is even to mention that for his three years as batting champion, he has finished each with a different team. The first, in 2022, came with the Minnesota Twins, while the second came with the Miami Marlins and the third in San Diego. The latter of the three has made him available this offseason.
While many fans are enamored by Arraez's batting average, organizations understand that he is nothing more than a one-trick pony and that one trick is not as valuable to MLB teams as it once was some fifty years ago or more.
The Yankees should not be done making additions to improve their chances in 2025, but the Luis Arraez rumors should see a full stop.
