Newly acquired infielder Luis Arraez has won an arbitration hearing against the Marlins, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The MVP Sports Group client will be paid $6.1MM rather than the $5MM figure originally submitted by his now-former team, the Twins.
Miami acquired Arraez, 25, in the trade that sent right-hander Pablo Lopez, top prospect Jose Salas and minor league outfielder Byron Chourio to Minnesota last month. His win in arb hearing comes on the heels of a .316/.375/.420 batting line that netted him an American League batting title in 2022. Arraez notched career-highs in games played (144), plate appearances (603), doubles (31) and homers (8) this past season.
All of that surely factored into his win over his new team, and he’ll now receive a 187% raise over last year’s $2.125MM salary. This was the infielder’s second trip through arbitration as a Super Two player, and he’ll be arbitration-eligible two more times before reaching free agency after the 2025 season.
The Marlins acquired Arraez in something of a high-risk gambit, hoping that his improved offense will offset the inherent defensive downgrade of swapping him in at second base and moving Jazz Chisholm Jr. to center field. That’s not to suggest Chisholm can’t be a solid center field — he certainly has the tools and athleticism to handle the position — but he’s been a plus defender at second base in his career while Arraez has been below-average. And, Chisholm will now have to learn a new position on the fly. It’s a move that carries risk, but there’s no denying that Miami’s lineup looks deeper with Arraez hitting at or near the top than it did previously.
With Arraez’s salary now set, the Marlins project for a payroll in the roughly $103MM range, per Roster Resource. That still has a bit of room to change even without further additions, as the Fish still have two pending arbitration cases. Utilityman Jon Berti and left-hander Jesus Luzardo both exchanged figures with the club. Berti filed a $2.3MM figure to the team’s $1.9MM submission, while Luzardo came in at $2.45MM to the Marlins’ $2.1MM. Those are trivial sums to any team in the grand scheme of things, but as we’ve explored at MLBTR in the past, the battle over those sums is more about managing salaries years down the road — even for future classes of players, as arbitration is a precedent-based system — rather than present-day savings.
So that’s why the Twins traded him: they knew they were holding a losing hand and didn’t want to face the music in an arb hearing.
I don’t believe that to be true at all. They needed a starting pitcher, and Arraez is probably at his highest in terms of peak value. Plus, they wanted to get Polanco into a regular role and improve the defense. Arraez is a terrific contact hitter but can’t run well nor play good D anywhere other than 1st base. And he has injury concerns. I feel those were more the reasons rather than money.
One also has to wonder if assistant GM Correa wanted him gone for some reason. Maybe they didn’t get along, or he didn’t trust him at 2nd base…
Polanco was playing 2B regardless lol. Love all this wild speculation from people who didn’t watch a single twins game
Yeah, it’s not far off to speculate that it could have had something to do with it. But that sounds more Athletics than Twins. I doubt they’d be splitting hairs over $1-2 million to the freaking batting champ.
Arraez had a 4 DRS at 2B last season. Over the last 3 seasons he has an 8 DRS in 130 games at 2B. He has played well above average defense at 3B as well. So saying he can’t play good D anywhere other than 3B is categorically incorrect.
Arraez has been exactly league average in extra bases taken. He doesn’t steal bases, but SB are not valued highly by teams today. So to say he can’t run well is not correct either.
He has not played in 59 games his team played, 52 of them while on the IL. He may be injury prone, but he played 144 games last season so I am sure most teams would take 144 games of that quality of a bat..
@outfield, he is not viewed as a strong defensive 2B’man. Advanced metrics feed scouting evaluations, but they don’t trump scouting evaluations. The main issue is defensive shifting helped him, but he will now have to rely on his defensive skills in a shift-restricted world. If he’s a breakeven defender be thankful. He will likely be less.
Nah, the metrics are misleading for him. He’s only average at best at 2B, very little range which would be exposed without the shift. Also, the whole reason he played in 144 last year is that the Twins concluded he can’t play up the middle with his chronic knee and hammy issues so they deployed him almost entirely at 1B and DH last year. It did work to keep him healthy finally. But, he needs to stay a 1B/DH from here on out. If the Fish play him up the middle it’ll be regrettable.
He is not viewed by whom? Scouting on him as a prospect in 2015-2019 was that he graded a 50 field at 2B by BA, MLB average, and 45 by MLB slightly below average. Both said in 2019 that he had been an above average fielding 2B in the minors that would likely be slated to be a super utility guy in the majors
Fielding metrics are what has ACTUALLY HAPPENED. They are not opinion and as such DO trump opinion. Arraez has been an above average fielder and has been improving the last 3 seasons.
If shifting helped him, then his defensive play at 3B would not also be positive.
DRS takes shifting into account as well as things like turning DP, trowing out baserunners trying to advance, and relaying the ball when acting as the cutoff man. It favors him more than the other two defensive metrics.
OAA is a measure ONLY of the ball in play. It does not take into account anything else a player does on defense. Simply how well they react to the ball in play and turn it into a single out.
UZR does not take the shift into account at all. It is strictly zone based.
He was a plus defender last season and the last 3 seasons overall. He won’t be a breakeven defender. He will likely CONTINUE to be better.
Average is not bad. Not sure why you think it is. It mean half the players in the league are worse.
Arraez’s range at 2B is either exactly MLB average or just above average according to Statcast.
1 OAA In and Lateral Towards 3B.
0 OAA (or League Average) Back and Lateral Towards 1B.
So his range will not be exposed. It is average.
Arraez played around the diamond, sometimes multiple position in a game. 65 games at 1B, 41 at 2B, and 7 at 3B. He also had 34 starts as a DH. His versatility and average or better defense at all those positions is a plus. It is what he was brought to the majors to be, a super utility guy that can play decent defense with a great bat.
His injury last season was a hamstring injury and had nothing to do with his knee.
In 2020 he dealt with knee soreness early after an awkward slide into 2B in spring training and in 2021 he dealt with a knee strain due to getting run into by a baserunner at 2B.
https://theathletic.com/3366299/2022/06/15/twins-luis-arraez/
Which he credited with playing 144 games and increasing his power and performance at the plate overall in 2022.
@outfield, absolutely no one believes he’s a plus defender.
You’ll see.
Polanco has been regular 2B for a couple seasons. He’ll be the first out at trade deadline when the Twins take a crap.
Polanco was the starting 2B regardless of Arraez’s presence.
We need Desi-Arraez back in our lives. Where’s Fred Mertz?
Babalu
Lol Lopez is getting 5.5 and the twins are in line to have their highest opening day payroll ever. Move along
Davey Lopes?
Dumb trade by the Marlins from the get go giving up 2 very nice prospects to boot.
Prospects are just prospects until they shows something at the MLB level.
Also, very subjective as the prospects have been ranked #5 & #15 in the system per MLBPipeline, respectively. The #15 ranked prospect is also only 17 with little to no track record in pro ball., MIA acquired the reigning AL batting champ — or is hitting overrated when it’s not going over the fence?
Considering how few of MIA’s position prospects do anything at the ML level – they can’t afford to put them on a pedestal.
Nope ! They had an opportunity to fleece the Marlins and jumped on it. Leaving 28 other teams wondering why they didn’t try to pair w miami.
Arraez has bad knees, his main position (2B) is manned by Polanco and his offense wasn’t good enough for the open positions (1B, DH). Also, Pablo Lopez is making $5.45 million this year. It was a sell-high opportunity.
Wow, who (almost) triples their salary in one year? Nice job, young man!
But if he has a poor season he won’t get a pay cut.
One of the trade offs the owners made for paying young players so little the first 6+ seasons of their careers was that a players salary cannot go down more than 20%. https://www.mlb.com/glossary/transactions/salary-arbitration.
True. Guys who aren’t worth their projected arb just get cut.
Well deserved too.
…but why did they take him to arbitration? Hi, Luis, welcome to the team, we love you, we think you’re fantastic, now come and sit down in a hearing while we rip you apart. Iknow they couldn’t change the number, but why then even go to the hearing?
I’d guess because it’s Miami and they don’t want to pay if they don’t have to. That’s not meant to be a criticism, just an observation.
Yes. The arbitration number awarded this year will also serve as a multiplier of sorts next, so it’s not just $1.1MM additional this year, but also several million more next year. Still, it’s very awkward. I wonder if they even tried to find a midpoint? Or even a 3/4ths point?! If they pulled punches, so to speak, in the arbitration hearing, which I have no reason to believe they did, then it would make even less sense. Wouldn’t surprise me at all to see Arraez traded next off season, perhaps even at mid-season this year if the Marlins stumble out of the gate.
damn 187 percent raise!
And will finish 3rd in the division
So they’re going to finish above either the Mets, Braves, or Phillies? Lol that’s an improvement
Nothing says, “Welcome to your new cheap team,” like getting trashed in an arbitration hearing. lol
The new boss, same as the old onr
The Marlins couldn’t change the arbitration figure submitted by the Twins.
I know reading may not be your forte, but c’mon.
Correct, but the Marlins took over as legal counsel arguing for the Twins’ figure. There was nothing preventing the Marlins from accepting his figure or offering a settlement. It’s more the principle that put them in this situation.
Sheesh typical Marlins!
Acquire the impact bat they’re always looking for and before he even puts on a uniform the club is battling him in arbitration.
It really is a miracle they have 2 championships
The Twins were the ones who submitted the $5 million figure, not the Marlins.
Reading must be very difficult for you.
Big Smoke – Marlins could have avoided arbitration by either giving what he asked for or settling somewhere in the middle of what he asked for and what the Twins proposed. Lyman didn’t state Marlins submitted the $5MM figure only that they did not have to go to arbitration. What was that you were saying..something about reading?
Riff, maybe this quote will help
“the $5MM figure originally submitted by his now-former team, the Twins.”
Big smoke had it right
@riffraff Luis Arraez landed in Miami about three minutes ago and you’re expecting the team to give out a one-year deal immediately? Good grief lol
MIA, like ATL, is a “file-and-trial” team that views the arbitration figure exchange date as a hard deadline. If they don’t come to an agreement during that time, they go to trial. They may not have wanted to set a precedent. This is an interesting case since they had to deal with MIN’s figure, so you could make an argument that that would be an exception without setting precedent.
Hoof – Big Smoke is indeed correct as far as who submitted the figures. But he made a point of correcting Lymans post when that post didn’t mention who submitted the figures … only that Marlins shouldn’t have gone to arbitration( unless was edited before I commented) I don’t think we are disagreeing just interpreting Lymans post differently.
Big Smoke – not expecting anything.. pretty sure I didn’t say I was.
File and Trial unless they sign the player to a multi-year deal. It seems like all teams do that now days.
I wish that was the case for Max Fried….smh.
Thanks riffraff. Some people just like to be mean for no reason. You’d think being such a jerk around people you don’t even know would be an embarrassing way to conduct yourself. But I guess not. Apparently as indicated by the likes on his rude comment, people enjoy the hate.
Thanks for pointing out how Big Smoke wasn’t even right. He also didn’t even acknowledge the fact that this is typical Marlins business practice. I guess he didn’t come here to talk baseball smh
My point was that the Marlins just always seem to end up doing wrong by their players and fanbase.
Also, even if I made a list that was incorrect, I can’t be corrected respectfully? You guys enjoy it when someone is rude to another person who posts?
Now back to my point .. if im the Marlins and I just got the big bag that always seems to elude my franchise, im not even letting this get to an arbitration meeting. Im taking care of this guy and building that relationship for hopefully the long term.
Arraez won anyways.
I just said they were battling him in arbitration. I’m not going to criticize anyone’s reading, it’s really comprehension anyways. Reading and comprehension are two totally different things btw.
But they didn’t have to battle him just because the twins submitted that figure, did they?
Its all team’s business practice when its comes to arbitration. File and Trial. To me it would have made sense to try to sign him to a 3 year deal and if that didn’t work then go to the arbitration hearing. The short time frame probably did not work in the Marlins favor if they did attempt to extend him.
He’d been there a few weeks. And it’s not like they found out he was going to arbitration after they traded for him, there was ample opportunity to work on a compromise pre-trade.
It might be worth pondering why the Marlins have such a historically low win percentage in arbitration cases.
And the truth will set you free
..plus giving up 2 very nice prospects. Marlins GM strikes again!
That’s stupid. How does the Twins’ figure apply to the Marlins? They should have changed that in the CBA.
Where were you when they were hammering the cba out?
They could have used your insite
He was trying to get a word in edge-wise in between Max Scherzer ranting like a lunatic and turning chairs over. Guess nobody heard him? LOL
I wonder if there was talk of a trade prior to the figure submission that influenced the number, knowing the future team would need to go to trial against their figure.
They should trade him.
I’d normally cheer for the team, but this guy is coming off such a good season that he should have asked for even more. I’d have gone for 7 or 8.
Then he would’ve lost and gotten whatever the team offered
How do you know? I know hits, batting average, and batting title(s) matter to arbitration judges.
Dude had a lucky year and is going to be brutal going forward. Basically James Loney 2.0 these types of players are never more than mediocre other than a few fluke seasons.
Not a lucky year…guy can hit. Problem is he has no power and plays 1B now.
Maybe you should read what the Marlins said about Arraez. They feel so confident in him at 2B that they are moving their best overall player to CF.
Peoples reading comp today is struggling
It’s still a bad trade.. They gave up 2 very nice prospects for 1 extra year of Arraez
Two question marks for an extra season of a batting champ that will play the keystone. That doesn’t seem like a bad trade in any way.
If both those guys the Marlins sent to the Twins were MLB top 100 prospects, and neither are, that would mean they had a 1 in 5 shot at being an average MLB player for at least 1 season in their career.
So if they bust the odds and one becomes even average, then Miami loses the trade long term. Short term the Marlins get the elite OBP hitter they have needed. The Twins get the middle of the rotation starter they needed. Its a win-win short term.
You should be a scout
Interesting take
Arraez had one below average defensive season at 2B, his rookie year, and since then has been average or better and improving. The last 3 seasons he has an 8 DRS with 2022 being a 4 DRS.
If we measured all players defensive performance only by their rookie season then a large number of good players would forever be labelled bad defensive players.
He’s also got a bad knee now
No knee problems at all in 2022.
LMFAO Marlins fail again. Was a dumb trade by them from the beginning..
Can you explain that for me, armchair GM?
Sure, they got 1 extra year of Arraez and gave up 2 very good borderline top 100 prospects for him. Arraez has zero power and played 1B last year mainly. I know they Marlins want hum ti play 2B but the older you get the less likely that is a good move.
“Two borderline top 100 prospects.”
Tell me you don’t know anything about those two prospects without telling me you don’t.
So because Jackson Chourio is a top 10 prospect, means that his brother is automatically a good prospect as well? Also, which preseason Top 100 list includes Jose Salas? Do me a favor and find another forum to spew misinformation on
Salas didn’t make the top 100 for MLB or Law on the Athletic. He didn’t make the top 101 on BP.
https://www.mlb.com/prospects/top100/
https://theathletic.com/4132943/2023/01/30/top-100-mlb-prospects-2023-keith-law/
He is ranked 13th in the Twins organization that has just 3 players in the MLB top 100.
Salas was not ranked in Fangraphs top 200 prospects.
https://www.fangraphs.com/prospects/the-board/2023-prospect-list/summary?sort=-1,1&pageitems=200&pg=0
Putting aside the money (and I know it’s always a consideration) I don’t understand the motives for the talent swap.
So the Marlins trade for Arraez, and his first impression is of them tearing him apart in an arbitration hearing? That’s awkward. I wonder if that helped his case in that maybe they didn’t really push all that hard. If so, then why even go to the hearing?
…meaning since they couldn’t change the number, why not agree to the number so there is no hearing?
Here’s hoping both teams benefit from the trade. Arraez has dealt with knee issues in the past, but lost a little weight. Just have to see if he sticks with the conditioning and knee strengthening programs. If he does, he should be healthy for the foreseeable future. A little concerning how he faded down the stretch the last couple seasons, but he definitely tried to lift more balls to increase the power numbers rather than sticking with the line drives. Arraez has warning track power, not HR power and trying to force the home runs led to a decrease in performance.
I see a lot of comments about defense. Arraez has not been an athletic kinda guy and had somewhat limited range, but a fairly strong arm. His glove was very, very poor at 1B last year. While the error total may not reflect it, Arraez struggled to catch balls thrown below his knees and especially struggled with the more difficult catches due to technique and glove orientation (often turned down rather than to the side, etc). When it came to scooping the ball, he was a butcher. Maybe he would have gotten better if given more practice and time at first base, but the defensive knocks against Arraez are often based on the eye test. Imperfect throws are often tagged as errors on the other infielders, but in watching game play, it’s expected a 1B can make a good catch on most of the balls which got away from Arraez.. At 2B, Arraez made a few mental errors, but experience will probably help him out with that. A stable position will likely benefit him in my opinion.
He’s got an awkward looking run where his arms stay low with hands pointed down while sprinting and his sprint speed is below average, but he does get a good jump out of the batters box thanks to his left handedness. The judgement on his running comes from his speed and jump, not his stolen bases.
All in all, Arraez has super elite contact and hitting skills, below average power and overall average-ish athleticism and speed. If Arraez takes his conditioning seriously and leans on the talents he does have rather than the talents where he’s limited, he could be a perennial All Star candidate and 4-5 WARish player imho.
Arraez was among the best in MLB in scoops per attempt and tied for 10th overall with Rizzo even though he only had 529 IP at the position. Olson. Freeman and Lowe all had over 1300 innings played.
That means he was very good at catching the ball at 1B. Compare him to the guy you think was the best at catching the ball at 1B and see how he compares.
https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=1b&stats=fld&lg=all&qual=500&type=0&season=2022&month=0&season1=2022&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2022-01-01&enddate=2022-12-31&sort=16,d
“Yes, I am aware that we traded lofty capital for him. Yes, I am aware that he just won a batting title. No, I don’t think he’s worth the money.”
Fire sale in Miami coming soon to get their payroll down to an acceptable level, LOL.
Glad to see these teams spending the extra $30M they received this year.
#bringbackdefeatinarbitrationresultsheadlines
Do they make batting helmets large enough?
“And, Chisholm will now have to learn a new position on the fly.”
No. Don’t use that comma. Or just tack it onto the last sentence.