Luis Arraez made his return to San Diego yesterday for the first time since signing with the division rival Giants in free agency. Speaking to reporters (including Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune), Arraez revealed that he “talked a lot” with the Padres during free agency before ultimately signing in San Francisco.
It’s a decision that Arraez chalks up to his desire to play second base, which wasn’t on the table in San Diego due to the presence of Jake Cronenworth. The Giants afforded him that opportunity, and Sanders notes that the $12MM salary he received from his new club was more than the Padres could offer. Considering that Michael King is San Diego’s only offseason addition making even $3MM in 2026, that certainly seems like a fair assessment.
Even if the team’s financial situation made a reunion all but impossible, Arraez’s strong desire to play second base this year does shed some light on his free agency. The soon-to-be 29-year-old posted the worst season of his career last year, hitting just .292 with a 104 wRC+. It seemed as though that left Arraez to sit through a very quiet offseason where his name rarely appeared in the rumor mill, if ever. Perhaps, however, Arraez’s desire to play second limited his market more than it otherwise would have. Teams like the Mariners, Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, Diamondbacks, and the Padres themselves were all looking for help at first base this offseason, while teams on the hunt for second base help were far more limited. The Red Sox, Giants, and A’s were three of the only clubs looking to add at the keystone this winter, and Boston was known to be prioritizing defense.
That surely left Arraez with a very limited market in terms of teams willing to hand him the second base job, but that list could expand if he turns in a strong season this year. Of course, a tough season or even one where he doesn’t prove himself capable of handling the keystone could leave him looking at an even softer market next year. As Arraez himself pointed out to Sanders, his contract with San Francisco is for just one year.
“I don’t know what (will happen) later,” Arraez said of his future after the 2026 campaign (as relayed by Sanders).
In other Padres news, Sanders writes that right-hander Jason Adam threw 1 1/3 scoreless frames on a rehab assignment over the weekend and is making good progress as he looks to return from quadriceps surgery. The righty is poised to throw in a simulated game today before making back-to-back rehab appearances on Friday and Saturday. If those outings all go well, that could set him up for a return not long after his minimum IL stint date of April 8. When he does return, Adam will be a huge boon to the Padres’ bullpen. The veteran righty has been one of the best relief arms in baseball over the past few years, with a 2.07 ERA and 3.20 FIP since the start of the 2022 campaign. He’ll join a crowded high leverage mix alongside Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, and Jeremiah Estrada once he’s back in action.
Speaking of rehab assignments, infielder Sung Mun Song is rehabbing after opening the year on the shelf due to oblique tightness. MLB.com notes that he began a rehab assignment last week, and he’s appeared in three games since. That includes appearances at second base and shortstop, suggesting that he might not be too far from being healthy enough to return. The 29-year-old is waiting to make his big league debut after signing out of the KBO with the Padres on a four-year, $15MM pact over the offseason. He figures to factor heavily into the club’s bench mix once healthy, seeing time all over the infield and perhaps even in the outfield corners this year.
If Song is coming to the active roster, I would guess Ty France’s days are numbered.
Song Sung Blue, everybody knows one.
France will have to decide if he is willing to take an assignment to El Paso. Pretty much every Padres option at 1B/ infield comes with question marks, it’s not that crazy to think that some of Sheets, Castellanos, Song or Andujar will underwhelm and France will get another shot this year.
Castellanos isn’t helping his bid to avoid being the DFA.
Padre’s made the right move here.
Interesting gamble. If he can play a near-average 2B, he’s immensely more valuable than he is as a 1B. It’s a big if though.
Arraez is so undervalued. I really don’t get the hate. I’d love to have a fine defensive second baseman who is an annual threat to win a batting title. Not to mention an elite clubhouse guy.
His fielding run percentile is 17%. Doesn’t sound fine defensively to me.
It is fine. Limited range and limited arm dictates those numbers but his glove works. I’ve watched him play plenty he’s never felt like a liability. If anything he was a liability at first. He just isn’t gonna go above and beyond like Hoerner or Turang.
That’s just what the stats say.
Arreaz Adam Song sounds like an early Elton John track.
I’ve seen Arraez make some great plays already this season.
He’s got a great attitude and is playing well with his new teammates.
He will get flak when he makes his first error because haters gonna hate, whatever.
Padres wish they still had Arraez over the sullen superstar known as Nick Castellanos.
Giants marketing has presented a quiet humble guy. I’m on board. Go well Luis.
I saw him make good plays at 1b last year. I think it’s more his range than ability to field a ball thst he can get to.
Castellanos is a rather small threshold to surpass.
If Eldridge gets called up in a couple months, Schmidt and Arraez may compete for playing time.
Great attitudes and “playing well with teammates” [??] doesn’t score runs.