Ex-Yankees coach sees $154,000,000 star as major asset in lineup with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton or Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr.

The New York Yankees have been rumored to be interested in trading for Luis Arraez before the start of the season. Former Yankees coach Sean Casey has given his take on the move.

Arraez, a 27-year-old infielder, is entering the final year of his contract with the San Diego Padres and has a market value of $154 million for nine years. Analysing a possible trade to New York, Casey shared his views on Arraez in The Mayor's Office podcast [6:15 - 8:45]:

"In a time when hitting is probably at the worst we've seen in MLB history... Luis Arraez is a gold mine. The guy puts the ball in play, he has probably the best bat to ball contact rate in the league.

"Having a guy like Arraez, you already have Fernando Tatis, Manny Machado, you already have those big guns. You have your Stantons, your Judges, you have your heavy hitters. You need a guy that can compliment those guys in the lineup. A guy that can get on base, a guy that puts together good at bats, a guy that plays every night. So Luis Arraez in any lineup makes them so much better because he's not a one-trick pony."

Luis Arraez started his major league career with the Minnesota Twins in 2019 before being traded to the Miami Marlins in 2023 and the San Diego Padres in 2024. He's a two-time Silver Slugger who has made the All-Stars and won the batting champion title in his last three seasons.

He's one of the young players heading into free agency at the end of the year, making him a prime target for a trade. With his renowned ability to get on base, Arraez makes a valuable asset for any team with heavy hitters. With plenty of time remaining until deadline day, it remains to be seen if the Padres choose to trade him this year.

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MLB analyst suggests the Yankees and the Padres could trade for Luis Arraez and Marcus Stroman

While the New York Yankees are considering trading for Luis Arraez, the San Diego Padres are in desperate need of some pitching. To that end, Just Baseball's Eric Treuden suggests a swap involving Arraez and Marcus Stroman:

"A swap involving Luis Arraez and Stroman makes a lot of sense for both clubs ... Arraez has a unique skill set that could fit on the Yankees if he was utilized properly. But the best fit here would be Stroman in the Padres’ starting rotation, as they have an extremely obvious need."

Stroman isn't projected to be in the Yankees rotation heading into the new season and could be far more valuable to the Padres right now. Meanwhile, Arraez's future in San Diego remains uncertain, which could be a useful trading chip for a pitcher ahead of the new MLB season.