"It was very clear how much the Padres missed Juan Soto" - MLB insider claims Luis Arraez perfect fit for San Diego's OBP woes

San Deigo Padres made a blockbuster trade in mid-season with the Maimi Marlin to acquire All-Star infielder Luis Arraez. Arraez made a spectacular debut for the Padres against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday.

In the second game between the Padres and D-backs at Chase Field, Arraez went 6-for-4. He became the first Padres star to have four hits in a debut game. He contributed two runs and an RBI in their 13-1 victory to win the series.

The Athletic’s Jim Bowden believes that the two-time batting title winner could fill the void left by Juan Soto.

“It's been very clear how much they missed Juan Soto's On-Base Percentage (OBP), Bowden said on MLB Network Radio. “This is a guy last year was on base all the time, creating traffic for Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado and Jake Cronenwert, Xander Bogarts.”

Bowden believes Arraez will be the new “traffic monger” for the Padres’ lineup.

“I was just thinking of the Padres, how he will absolutely change that lineup completely because he is a traffic monger,” he added. “He's not a guy that does a lot of damage. He doesn't have a lot of power, but he's going to get on and on that line. It's going to be a difference.”

The Marlins in exchange received two outfielder prospects, Dillion Head and Jakob Marsee, and first-base youngster Nathan Martorella, along with the reliever Woo-Suk Go. However, There’s a catch in the terms.

Arraez, who will not become a free agent till 2025, was in a $10.8 million contract with the Marlins. To maintain this season’s payroll, the Padres have agreed to pay only the league’s minimum of $592,000 out of his remaining $8.49 million salary that the Marlins are accustomed to bear.

Luis Arraez as the next Mr. Padre?

Last night, Luis Arraez matched Tony Gwynn a.k.a Mr. Padre's stat line. In 571 career games, Gwynn has a slash line of .326/.378/.427 and 25 home runs. Meanwhile, Arraez nearly matched him with a slat line of .324/.377/.423 and 24 home runs.

Pure coincidence? The Padres skipper, Mike Shidt didn’t think so.

“It was a sight to behold,’’ Shildt said, via USA Today. “What a talent. … It’s hard to have a comp to Tony Gwynn, but if there is one in our modern game, now we have him on our team. And that just feels right.’’

“That would be nice,’’ Arraez said about his comparison to Gwynn. “Let’s see what happens. I just want to stay healthy. If I stay healthy, I can do a lot of good things.’’

With Arraez on board, the Padres (18-18) are chasing the LA Dodgers (22-13) for the NL West pennant. They have a chance to sweep the Dbacks and then focus on the next series against the Chicago Cubs starting Monday.