The San Francisco Giants have found their second baseman - and it’s a name that brings both consistency and elite contact ability to the top of the lineup. Luis Arraez, a three-time batting champ and one of the toughest outs in baseball, is headed to the Bay on a one-year, $12 million deal.
Arraez, 28, made the strategic decision to turn down multi-year offers in order to return to his natural position at second base. After spending last season playing first for the Padres, he’ll now slide back into the middle infield - a move that not only suits his defensive profile better, but also fills a glaring need for the Giants.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a solid addition - it’s a tone-setter at the top of the order. Arraez brings a career .317 batting average to a lineup that needed a true table-setter.
His ability to put the ball in play is borderline surgical. Last year, he slashed .292/.327/.392 with 181 hits and a minuscule 3.1% strikeout rate - the kind of contact profile that’s almost extinct in today’s game.
And now, he joins a revamped Giants infield that suddenly looks a lot more formidable. Rafael Devers takes over at first, Willy Adames holds down short, and Matt Chapman brings his Gold Glove defense to third. That’s a defensive upgrade across the board, with Arraez anchoring it all up the middle.
Here’s how the Giants’ projected 2026 lineup stacks up:
- 2B Luis Arraez (L)
- 1B Rafael Devers (L)
- SS Willy Adames
- 3B Matt Chapman
- RF Jung Hoo Lee (L)
- LF Heliot Ramos
- CF Harrison Bader
- DH Bryce Eldridge (L)
- C Patrick Bailey (S)
It’s a blend of power, speed, and contact - and Arraez is the spark plug. His presence at the top allows hitters like Devers and Adames to hit with runners on base more often. And with Jung Hoo Lee bringing his own contact-heavy game from the KBO, the top half of this lineup could be a nightmare for opposing pitchers who rely on strikeouts.
The Giants had been actively searching for a second baseman this offseason, kicking the tires on players like Brendan Donovan, Nico Hoerner, and CJ Abrams. But Arraez gives them something different - a proven, elite-level bat with a unique skill set. He’s not going to give you 25 home runs, but he’ll get on base, keep innings alive, and grind out at-bats like few others in the league.
This is a short-term deal with long-term implications. Arraez gets a chance to re-establish his value at his preferred position, while the Giants get a high-contact bat to stabilize the top of their order and tighten up the infield defense. It’s a win-win - and if things go right, it could be one of the most quietly impactful moves of the offseason.