Luis Arraez of the San Diego Padres is arguably one of the toughest players in Major League Baseball to get a feel for. Of course, many don't love batting average nowadays, and it's tough to deny the fact that it might not mean as much as it once did.
If players can get on base at a high level or slug at a high level, that's often more important than them getting a couple of base hits. However, with somebody like Arraez, those comments become somewhat challenging.
He's arguably been the best bat-to-ball player in Major League Baseball over much of the past decade, and there's something to be said about that. However, on the open market, it remains uncertain whether teams will truly have too much love for that.
Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller certainly thinks there’s a chance for Arraez to get paid, noting that the New York Yankees will be the team that pays him. Not only will the Yankees pay him, but he predicted a $90 million contract.
“Luis Arráez has won three consecutive batting titles and could be in the mix for a fourth if Will Smith either fades down the stretch or even fails to make enough plate appearances to qualify, which he is barely on pace to do,” he wrote.
“But Arráez doesn't draw walks, hit home runs, steal bases or play great defense, making it tough to see anyone giving him a $20M AAV. If he's reaching $100M total, it's probably going to need to be at least a seven-year deal. (Prediction: Arráez signs a six-year, $90M-ish deal with the Yankees.)”
The $90 million might sound like a lot, but the AAV is the more important part here.
While Arraez might get a better offer from another team, he could be interested in playing for the Yankees, as they could use a player of his style.
The Yankees have been better when they hit the long ball, but that doesn't mean they can't change their philosophy a bit over the next year or so with a player like Arraez.