Luis Arraez signed a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants in the offseason for two key reasons. The Giants needed Arraez to help the lineup with plenty of swing-and-miss to put the ball in play more often. Arraez also wanted to return to playing second base every day, where he began his career with the Minnesota Twins.
The San Diego Padres had Arraez in their clubhouse for the past two seasons after acquiring him in a trade with the Miami Marlins in 2024. Arraez made an All-Star team and won the NL batting title with the Padres, led the MLB in hits in 2025, and became a big part of their offense and consecutive playoff runs.
Arraez built a strong connection with the fans and players in San Diego, so when he made his return to the city on Monday night wearing rival colors, it was bittersweet. The Padres made a special announcement to the fans regarding Arraez in the pregame, which led to some emotional comments from the second baseman after the Giants’ win.
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“It’s a lot of emotional things today, especially for me,” Arraez said after the game. “When I’m playing on a team, I feel everybody’s a family. 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 enjoy myself. Enjoy the game.”
Arraez did say the Padres reached out to him in the offseason and were interested in a reunion. However, Arraez wanted to return to playing second base, which he had not played regularly since 2023 in Miami. In San Diego, Arraez primarily played first base, while Jake Cronenworth handled the keystone position.
Arraez isn’t a great defender, but it was important to him to return to his spot in the middle infield.
“Yes, they (Padres) wanted to sign me back, but I wanted to go back to second base,” Arraez said. “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.”
By playing second base, Arraez could cash in next offseason if he plays better defense and raises his WAR value, which is never very high when playing first base.