Padres trade prediction for Giants' .319 average infielder makes perfect sense
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Padres trade prediction for Giants' .319 average infielder makes perfect sense originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The San Diego Padres are very likely to be buyers come the August 3rd trade deadline, and if they are looking to add talent to their roster, there are a few positions worth addressing.
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It's already been reported that they're eyeing help for the bullpen, and the starting rotation is another area where A.J. Preller could upgrade. But the Padres could use a bit more offensive firepower as well.
With such a need, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer is predicting the Padres to swing a trade with the in-division San Francisco Giants for a familiar face.
"Prediction: Traded to Padres," Rymer predicts for Giants infielder Luis Arraez. With the Giants likely headed towards the deadline as sellers, it would not be a surprise if Arraez were traded this season.
And for the Padres, adding Arraez back to the roster would make perfect sense for two reasons: his addition to the offense would be just what the team needs, and he'd help resolve some of the position issues for the team right now.
Padres' prediction to trade for Luiz Arraez makes perfect sense
Adding Arraez would be done to improve the offense first-and-foremost. He's a good contact hitter, posting a .319 batting average this season across 185 at-bats.
He might not be the best power-hitter, but with a .780 OPS and 125 OPS+ this season, there's reason to be optimistic about Arraez's impact on the Padres' offense.
Their best hitter by batting average is Miguel Andujar, who has a .290. Looking at OPS, Arraez's .780 would place third among hitters with at least 100 at-bats this season behind Andujar and Gavin Sheets.
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While he's an instant offensive upgrade, his surprisingly good defense at second base would be the exact kind of upgrade this team is missing.
Fernando Tatis Jr. is playing a bit at second, with Nick Castellanos in right field. If the Padres trade for Arraez, Tatis could move back to right field, and they could take Castellanos and his .560 OPS out of the lineup.
This would be a great trade for the Padres, and would make perfect sense from both an offensive and defensive standpoint. The only hurdle might be whether the Giants trade him in-division. But if they are okay with such a trade, Arraez should be a Padre again.
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