The SF Giants have officially signed second baseman Luis Arraez. It was widely reported that San Francisco was expected to sign the three-time batting champ but they officially did so on Tuesday.
Even before the signing was made official, Arraez shared some pictures on social media and he can be seen wearing a Giants cap as well as a retro Giants jersey with the No. 27 on it which is the number that Juan Marichal wore for the team.
The pictures can be viewed here.
Luis Arraez seen wearing jersey of SF Giants legend Juan Marichal
It does not seem like this is another Carlos Correa situation where a physical is the reason the signing has not been made official. Instead, it may have something to do with the fact that the Giants still have to clear a spot on the 40-man roster to make room for Arraez.
Still, it is cool to see Arraez already repping a Giants legend’s jersey even before the signing is made official.
The Arraez signing was a bit controversial amongst observers because of his unique skill set. He is a player seemingly plucked from a different era who makes contact at an absurdly high rate but does not grade out well when considering power or more modern considerations like exit velocity.
Still, the guy is a three-time batting champ and the Giants are hoping they will be getting that version of Arraez over the version he has been the last two years with the San Diego Padres. While he was not terrible with San Diego, he was at his best with the Miami Marlins.
Of course, the defense at second base is going to be a concern unless he improves. He was a subpar defender at first base last season so it stands to reason his defense will be worse at second base, but maybe infield coach Ron Washington can get Arraez to a passable level at the position.
Then there is the question of where Arraez will bat in the order. He seems like a prototypical No. 2 hitter and that is where he spent the bulk of his time last season. However, he could be a solid No. 5 hitter so he comes up in more RBI situations and his contact skills will at least force the defense to make a play.
How the signing pans out will be one of the more interesting things to watch this season, but the fact that he is sporting a Marichal jersey suggests he is excited to be headed to San Francisco.