Friday night’s signing of second baseman Luis Arráez sent shockwaves through the business. Then it sent both enthusiasm for San Diego fans and despair to Miami. Finally, many questioned how Arráez would fit into the Padres’ crowded infield.
How Luis Arráez Fits into the San Diego Padres Roster The Padres have a decent offense.
Despite having a team full of studs, the Padres won only 82 games last season and missed the playoffs. This season, the squad enters Saturday with a.500 record and second place in the National League West. While it is too early to determine whether or not the Padres are a decent club, their star power should propel them to greater heights.
While some of San Diego’s players have struggled offensively, the team’s offense has done admirably overall. This season, the Padres are in the top 15 in the league for wRC+, BB%, K%, and AVG. The 2023 offense was ranked similarly.
Preller chose to strengthen Arráez rather than solve a deficiency (run prevention). Arráez, 27, has won two consecutive batting titles and is a career player.324 hitters. He combines exceptional contact skills with an acceptable walk rate and a great strikeout rate. He won’t hit for power or walk, but he will put the ball in play, get hits, and force pitchers to work.
Arráez mostly performs functions that the Padres offense already excels at. One could argue that, while Arráez adds depth to the lineup, the Padres can only go as far as Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts. It’s reasonable to expect that getting those two back to normal will have a greater impact on the Padres than signing Arráez will.
Arráez will not help the Padres prevent runs with defense.
The Padres are likely to deploy Arráez as their primary DH. Since 2022, Arráez has primarily played second and first base, but is not regarded as a strong defender. He isn’t a significant improvement over Bogaerts at second or Jake Cronenworth at first. So, providing Arráez a glove may be more disruptive than beneficial to the Padres.
Sort of. Hannah Keyser recently wrote a story for The Ringer about how clubs have not efficiently employed the DH position. The DH is supposed to provide nothing but offense, but many teams see below-average productivity from this position in the lineup.
San Diego may perceive an advantage in being one of the few clubs that employs a pure batter as a full-time DH. This move will not assist the team’s 4.19 ERA, which is 20th in the league. However, it should improve the offense’s average of 4.86 runs per game.
Considering these data, the Padres’.500 record makes sense. So, scoring more with Arráez (and hopefully vintage Machado and Bogaerts at some point) could give the Padres a competitive advantage. Last season, the final National League Wild Card squad won 84 games and advanced to the World Series. Furthermore, the club secured the berth with just one game. Every game and every edge is important in the new Wild Card era.
The Padres plan to remain in the Wild Card race this season. Many teams may choose to bolster their defense and pitching in July. However, the Padres decided to enhance their offensive in early May. On paper, the move should give the squad a few more victories months before other teams decide whether to purchase or sell before the deadline. Perhaps this will make a difference in what should be a close Wild Card race.
Preller’s Long-Term Vision
Preller has been given greater leeway than most general managers throughout his time in San Diego. He has gone through several spending sprees, rebuilds, and even more managers. Preller is currently considered as the general manager who is most under fire.
So, in order to keep his job, he will most likely need to make the postseason this year. This implies that 2024 is more essential to him than 2026 and beyond. This trade reflects that. The big pieces the Padres traded will not have an impact on the major league squad for a few years, but adding Arráez should help the Padres make the playoffs right away.
Preller is presumably aware that if the Padres do not make the playoffs, whether with or without Arráez, he will not be present when the prospects make their debut. Preller is under pressure, so the long term takes a back seat until he successfully saves his position.
If this transaction does not result in a playoff berth, a new general manager can transfer Arráez this winter to recoup some of the package’s value. It’s probable that they won’t approve this agreement for a player with no control after this year.
Padres Asset Management
One could argue that the Padres could have utilized the prospects in this trade to shore up a weak point (pitching) rather than adding to an already formidable offense. San Diego traded one prospect with a star ceiling, two with excellent contributor potential, and one KBO veteran.
Admean adds depth, resulting in a lesser effort for mid-depth chart pitchers. This might keep more pitchers fresh in the future, as well as provide the Padres with more choices if some players struggle. Pitching has established depth chart pitchers. This might keep more pitchers fresh in the future, as well as provide the Padres with more choices if some players struggle. Pitching has shown to be critical during the postseason, and Arráez does not give pitching insurance.
It is reasonable to argue that Preller could, or should have, used the four prospects to buy one or two arms. If he wanted to make a move today, Miami could have been the only team ready to cooperate with him. Though this reduces the number of players available, the Marlins have outstanding pitching (despite a slew of ailments) that could benefit San Diego’s staff.
Preller may have been able to use this package to get two relievers. Or as part of the bundle, purchase one arm now and use the remaining pieces in a separate transaction at a later date. Instead, Preller decided to spend limited resources on acquiring a top middle infielder despite obvious needs elsewhere on the club.
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