Luis Arraez Finds New Team

One of the most sought-after free agents has officially landed a spot. Luis Arraez has made a one-year deal with the Giants, as confirmed by various sources.

Reportedly, the contract is valued at around $12 million.

Last season with the Padres, Arraez stood out with 180 hits, leading the National League, and posted a slash line of .292/.327/.392 over 154 games.

At 28, he’s quite the rarity in today’s baseball landscape, which often prioritizes power hitters. Arraez, however, excels as a contact hitter—winning three consecutive batting titles from 2022 to 2024, and topping the MLB with a .354 batting average in 2023.

He’s notorious for being tough to strike out, with a mere 215 strikeouts across seven seasons.

To put it in perspective, his strikeout rate of 3.5 percent and whiff rate of 5.3 percent placed him in the 100th percentile for MLB in 2025, according to Baseball Savant. Yet, ironically, his hard hit rate was at the very bottom, in the 1st percentile.

After spending most of the last two seasons with the Padres, Arraez will now join the Giants, who are aiming to improve their standing in the National League West.

Also noteworthy is that Arraez can handle both corner infield positions and second base, though he primarily played first base in 2025.

This acquisition follows the Giants’ signing of outfielder Harrison Bader to a two-year, $20.5 million deal.

With a new manager, former Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello, the Giants hope to bounce back after an 81-81 season and push for a postseason appearance—their first since 2021.

Prior to Arraez’s signing, the Giants were projected to rank third in the National League West for WAR, according to FanGraphs, sitting at 38.1.