Before he was a Padre, Luis Arraez won batting titles in Minnesota and Miami. The 28-year-old infielder returned to Petco Park on Monday with his new employer, but that’s not how Arraez views his relationships with his teams, past and present.

“It’s a lot of emotional things today, especially for me,” Arraez said after batting practice in the visiting dugout.

“When I’m playing on (a) team, I feel everybody’s a family. And then San Diego, San Diego Padres last year and in 2024, they are my family. And then now I have another opportunity with San Francisco, and then I just need to come here and then enjoy myself. Enjoy the game.”

Como en aquellos tiempos 💛 pic.twitter.com/c2AiWhlY2A

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) March 31, 2026

It’s easy to enjoy days like Monday.

Arraez wandered to the Padres dugout before batting practice to greet A.J. Preller, the man who traded for him in May 2024. A parade of hugs, handshakes and laughs ensued as Arraez’s former teammates — Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, etc. — poured out of the dugout for a pregame stretch.

Arraez greeted the security guards, the clubhouse attendants on the field and even the reporters he bantered with during his nearly two-year stay in San Diego.

The Padres honored Arraez with a pregame video tribute.

Even as he prepared to enter free agency, Arraez hoped his stay would last longer.

But with Jake Cronenworth locked at second base in San Diego and the 5-foot-10, 186-pound Arraez looking to get back in the middle of the infield after predominantly playing first base with the Padres, a reunion just wasn’t in the cards.

“They (called) me a lot; we talked a lot,” Arraez said. “Yes, they (wanted) to sign me back, but I want to go back to second base. I think it’s a big opportunity for me, for my family. And then, I mean, I signed here for one year. I don’t know what (will happen) later.”

Indeed, the one-year, $12 million deal with the Giants — more than the Padres could pay — is essentially a chance to rebuild his value. He hit .316, .354 and .314 in winning three straight batting titles for the Twins, Marlins and Padres, but Arraez finished the 2025 season with a .career-low .719 OPS (.292/.327/.392).

Still, he was a clubhouse favorite and a key member of two Padres playoff teams.

“AJ put (together) a good group, especially inside the clubhouse,” Arraez said. “We have a really good relationship there. And it is what it is. This is business. That’s why I’m signing with San Francisco. They gave me a big opportunity to go back to second base. And I know AJ still loves me. I know. And then the other thing is, baseball is fun. It’s hard, but it’s not impossible.

“We just need to go there … and enjoy.”

Enter ‘The Reaper’

Sometimes a reliever’s personal taste makes for a good entrance song. Sometimes he’s open to input.

Take Mason Miller’s new walkout to nu-metal band Korn’s “Blind.”

“I don’t listen to that kind of scene,” Miller said. “I listen to a lot of country and Christian music.”

The 27-year-old Miller was born four years after Korn released “Blind,” a metal riff punctuated by a throaty “Are you ready!?!?!” that lands at Petco Park as Miller jogs to the mound. The choreography of all that is played against a grim reaper walking through the fog on the videoboard, a nod to “The Reaper” nickname that he picked up with the Athletics.

Padres closer Mason Miller comes in for the first time in 2026! pic.twitter.com/JAe39Ur9bD

— Talking Friars (@TalkingFriars) March 29, 2026

“I mean, it’s a little scary, for sure,” Miller said. “It kind of captures a good ominous vibe coming into the game. So it’s been cool to see how much it’s kind of been blasted everywhere (on social media).  That’s reassuring, I guess. You always want to have people enjoy the song.”

Given his own personal tastes, Miller was happy to have input from clubhouse manager TJ Laidlaw and clubhouse assistants Cole Flint and Josh Vernetti. The Padres’ production staff took it from there.

“They bring the energy in here every day,” Miller said of the Padres’ clubbies. “So obviously I was going to hear them out, and it worked out. … (The Padres) did show it to me. I think it’s sweet. So I’m good with it. They’re really good at what they do. So I let them do what they do, and I try to do what I do.”

Notable

RHP Jason Adam (quadriceps surgery) threw 1⅓ scoreless innings without incident on Saturday for Triple-A El Paso. He’ll pitch in a simulated game on Tuesday at Lake Elsinore and travel to Tulsa to pitch back-to-back games for Double-A San Antonio on Friday and Saturday. Adam can return from the 15-day injured list on April 8. “I felt great,” Adam said of Saturday’s rehab work. “No problems, didn’t have any hesitancy. Tried to execute pitches and try to keep doing that.”

Annie Heilbrunn contributed to this report.