The San Francisco Giants have been on the hunt for a second baseman this offseason, and after months of speculation, near-misses, and a few intriguing flirtations, they’ve finally landed their guy: Luis Arráez. The three-time All-Star is heading to the Bay on a one-year, $12 million deal-an unexpected move that raises as many questions as it answers.
Let’s start with what the Giants are getting: contact. Pure, elite-level, bat-to-ball skill that’s become increasingly rare in today’s game.
Arráez isn’t just good at putting the ball in play-he’s historically great at it. He led the league in batting average three straight seasons from 2022 to 2024, and his strikeout rate last year was a jaw-dropping 3.1%.
To put that in perspective, only five qualified hitters struck out less than 10% of the time in 2025, and the next-closest to Arráez was Jacob Wilson-who still struck out more than twice as often.
That level of contact is exactly what the Giants have been craving. San Francisco finished last season with a team batting average of .235 (25th in MLB) and a strikeout rate of 22.7% (18th).
Arráez, with his .292 average in 2025 and a .317 career mark, brings a very different offensive profile to a lineup that’s lacked consistency and situational hitting. President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey has made it clear that the organization values hitters who can avoid strikeouts and put the ball in play, and Arráez is the poster child for that approach.
So, from a philosophical standpoint, the move makes sense. But the fit? That’s where things get complicated.
Arráez’s offensive game is built almost entirely on contact-he doesn’t hit for power, and he doesn’t walk much either. In over 3,500 career plate appearances, he’s hit just 36 home runs and owns a walk rate of 6.5%.
Last season, his advanced metrics painted a stark contrast: he was elite in whiff rate, strikeout rate, and squared-up rate, but ranked in the bottom percentile in hard-hit rate, barrel rate, and bat speed. His average exit velocity was in the 6th percentile.
And perhaps more concerning, those numbers have been trending downward over the past few seasons.
That decline has shown up in his overall production. After posting a 128 OPS+ in 2022 and 2023, Arráez dropped to 107 in 2024 and fell below league average in 2025 with a 99 OPS+.
For a player who doesn’t offer power or walks, that’s a slippery slope. If the contact starts to fade, even slightly, there’s not much of a safety net.
And then there’s the defense.
This is where the signing becomes even more puzzling. Arráez has played all over the infield during his career, but last season he was moved almost exclusively to first base-a position where his defensive metrics were among the worst in the league.
His Fielding Run Value ranked 248th out of 299 qualified players. The year before, when he split time between first and second, he ranked 302nd out of 311.
And back in 2023, as a full-time second baseman, he was 299th out of 311. Since the start of 2023, his cumulative Fielding Run Value is -25, which ranks 296th out of 303.
The Outs Above Average metrics tell a similar story.
Despite that, the Giants plan to install Arráez as their everyday second baseman, with Casey Schmitt shifting into a utility role. That’s a bold choice for a team that has emphasized pitching and defense as a core part of its identity. Adding Arráez to the infield mix doesn’t exactly reinforce that message.
Still, there’s a potential upside here. Arráez reportedly turned down multi-year offers elsewhere to take this one-year deal with San Francisco, hoping to re-establish his value as a second baseman and hit the open market again next winter-still in his 20s. That kind of motivation can go a long way, especially for a player with something to prove.
The Giants are betting that the elite contact skills will outweigh the defensive liabilities. They’re banking on a lineup that can use more balls in play and fewer strikeouts. And they’re hoping that Arráez, despite some red flags in the underlying data, can be the spark plug their offense needs.
It’s a calculated risk. One that could pay off if Arráez returns to his batting title form and holds his own at second. But if the contact slips even slightly-or if his glove becomes too much of a liability-it could be a short-lived experiment.
For now, the Giants have their second baseman. Time will tell if they’ve also found a solution.