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San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey
The San Francisco Giants have been searching for an upgrade at second base all offseason.Â
They finally have one.
The Giants have signed infielder Luis Arraez to a one-year, $12 million contract, per ESPN’s Jorge Castillo.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Arraez had entered free agency looking to play second base full-time. That’s exactly where the Giants intend to put him.
The three-time batting champion and three-time All-Star has a .317 lifetime batting average and has always excelled at putting the ball in play.
He now gets a chance to prove himself with his third team in as many years.
What Does Arraez Bring to the San Francisco Giants?
Arraez is an amazing contact hitter. From 2022-24, he won three consecutive batting titles, hitting .354 in 2023.
He also doesn’t strike out often. In 840 career games, Arraez has struck out just 215 times. For context, Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood struck out 221 times in 2025 alone.
His squared-up rate, whiff rate and strikeout rate ranked in the 100th percentile in 2025, per Baseball Savant. So, when he struggles to make contact, it can get ugly for the infielder. But that doesn’t happen all too often.
What Arraez doesn’t do well is practically everything else.
During the 2025 season, Arraez took a step back, at least for his standards. In 154 games, Arraez hit a career-low .292, with an also career-low .719 OPS.
He has weak power, being in the first percentile in bat speed, barrel rate and hard-hit rate. To back this up, his career high in home runs is just 10.
He doesn’t steal bases, with a 25th percentile sprint speed, and is a below-average baserunner. But where he really can hurt a team is with his defense.
He had -9 Outs Above Average in 2025, good for the fourth percentile. His arm strength is also lacking, being in the 26th percentile.
While his best defense comes at first base, he is a horrible defender at second base, where the Giants intend to place him.
How Does Arraez Fit on the Giants?
While Arraez is better defensively at first, the Giants already have Rafael Devers entrenched at that position, with youngster Bryce Eldridge waiting patiently.
With Matt Chapman at third base and Willy Adames at shortstop, the infield was already set except for second base.
Casey Schmitt was the incumbent second baseman, but he is coming off an average offensive season, with just a .706 OPS. While Schmitt isn’t exactly the best defensive second baseman either, he’s still better than Arraez.
Arraez’s contract being valued at $12 million is strange, considering his weaknesses. However, it appears the Giants are opting to place hitting over defense, trusting that Arraez’s contact skills will make up for his other deficiencies.
If Arraez can work on his defense at second base and keep his average around .300, then he could work his way to a multi-year pact next offseason.
Matthew Singer Matthew Singer is a sports reporter covering MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2025, and has two years of experience covering local professional, collegiate and high school sports, including writing for Cronkite News and Arizona PBS. More about Matthew Singer
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