The San Diego Padres face a difficult choice regarding Luis Arraez this offseason. The three-time batting champion is set to hit free agency and is expected to draw solid interest on the market.
Arraez is a tricky player to assess in today’s game. While he rarely strikes out and consistently posts strong batting averages, he offers little power at the plate and is not regarded as a standout defender.
Arraez’s old-school hitting style could affect his free agency
This year, he’s batting .287 with a .321 on-base percentage and a .385 slugging mark, adding seven homers and 57 RBIs. As he approaches his age-29 season in 2026, it’s unclear how his throwback style of play will affect his market value.
Yahoo! Sports’ Jake Mintz listed Arraez among the top 25 free agents this offseason but doubts he’ll command a massive contract because of his lack of power.
“Arraez’s contact-first approach is great when he’s hitting .315, but less impactful when it dips to .287, like this year,” Mintz said. “He’s still a unique, entertaining player who’s refreshing in today’s homer-driven game. The problem is his limited pop and shaky defense won’t bring the payday some might expect.”
Even so, Arraez continues to be a central piece for the Padres, contributing again this season as San Diego holds the NL’s second Wild Card spot with only a few games left.
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