Marlins trade Arraez to Padres in 5-player deal
The Miami Marlins traded infielder Luis Arraez and cash considerations to the San Diego Padres for outfielders Dillon Head and Jakob Marsee, reliever Woo-Suk Go, and first baseman Nathan Martorella, the teams announced Saturday.
Miami is paying Arraez's contract down to the minimum in the deal, a source told ESPN's Alden Gonzalez. Arraez is making $10.6 million this season and is arbitration-eligible in 2025.
"We got an offer that we couldn't walk past," Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said Saturday, according to Craig Mish of the Miami Herald.
The two-time batting champ swaps teams for the second time in less than two seasons after joining the Marlins in a trade from the Minnesota Twins in January 2023.
Arraez won the batting title last season, hitting .354 with 43 extra-base hits in 147 games for the Marlins. He's off to another productive start at the plate this year, hitting .299 with eight doubles and five RBIs in 137 at-bats.
The 27-year-old has made appearances at both first and second base this campaign. The Padres have Jake Cronenworth at first base and Xander Bogaerts patrolling second. Arraez could also get at-bats at designated hitter with Manny Machado recently resuming his duties at third base after offseason elbow surgery.
Arraez is under club control through the 2025 season. He'll strengthen a Padres lineup that ranks third in the league in hits and sixth in batting average.
Luis Arraez would be the 2nd multi-time batting champ to be traded midseason the year after winning an additional title, joining:
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) May 4, 2024
1933 Lefty O’Doul
h/t @EliasSports
Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. was excited after hearing about the Arraez deal.
"It's really amazing," Tatis said on Friday, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale. "That guy is a baller. That guy is probably the closest to Tony Gwynn as there is right now. I'm looking forward to seeing him in our lineup."
The Marlins appear to be in a rebuilding phase amid a disappointing 9-24 start after a surprising postseason berth in 2023.
Head, 19, was hitting .237 with one home run, nine RBIs, and nine walks in 21 games at Single-A this season.
The Padres signed Go to a two-year, $4.5-million contract in January. The 25-year-old posted an 0-2 record with a 4.38 ERA and 15 strikeouts over 10 appearances at Double-A in 2024.
Marsee was a sixth-round pick in the 2022 draft. The 22-year-old accrued a .654 OPS with two home runs and 12 stolen bases at Double-A this season.
Martorella, 23, was a fifth-round pick in 2022. He was off to a strong start at the plate, slugging two home runs with 14 RBIs and an .815 OPS at Double-A.