The Giants are supposedly bringing in Luis Arráez to play second base. I used to say I would "take anyone on a one or two year deal" but this is a real head-scratcher.
Arráez never strikes out and sprays the ball all over the field. The lefty has won the batting title three times and has a career .317 batting average, best in the sport. He led the NL in hits last season. He's 28 and has over a thousand career hits.
But he's a terrible fielder and doesn't hit for power. What do you do with a guy like that?
I don't want to knock Arráez who really is quite incredible at what he does. It's just that the Giants needed CJ Abrams or Nico Hoerner or Brendan Donovan and we settled for Arráez. It could work, of course. He could get on base at a nice clip and complement the rest of the slugging infield. And maybe Schmitt will thrive in a utility role and we can keep the guys fresh.
Ah well, it's BusterTime™ and in Buster we Truster!
--M.C.
3 comments:
If you check out Arráez' page on FanGraphs it shows the projections for 2026.
https://www.fangraphs.com/players/luis-arraez/18568/stats/batting
All the systems like him and think he'll be a 2-WAR player.
Giants second baseman last season were among the bottom, collectively, in MLB. So, this could be an improvement!
But I really worry about his glove. He mostly played 1B last year for the Padres. Maybe he starts games and leads off, then after he gets his hits then Schmitt comes in for late game defense.
We keep blocking our young players. Both Fitz, and Schmidt were plus WAR fielders Arraez and devers on the right side of the infield will not make webb happy, and it could effect our attempts to sign an elite sinker ball pitcher. It reminds me a little bit of the Bill Madlock experiment back in the early 80's. Would like to see Schmidt, Matos and or Fitzgerald, break out. Seems we always undervalue our own talent, and/or find ways to thwart their development.
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