Defensive Disaster! Padres $14 Million All-Star Hates His New Position
Sometimes being a true team player requires making sacrifices for the benefit of the team. For Luis Arraez, his sacrifice comes in the form of the position he plays for the San Diego Padres.
Arraez, who will turn 28 in April, joined the Padres in May 2024. The Miami Marlins traded the Venezuelan infielder to the Padres for right-handed pitcher Woo-Suk Go, first baseman Nathan Martorella, and outfielders Dillon Head and Jakob Marsee.
With the Marlins, Arraez was named the franchise’s 2023 Most Valuable Player will he primarily served at second base, making 33 starts at second base with Miami in 2024. However, the move to San Diego also led to a change in Arraez’s position.
The three-time All-Star made 61 starts at first base for the Padres, while only making nine starts at his usual second base position. Arraez also made a career-high 47 starts as the designated hitter with San Diego in 2024.
He immediately succeeded after moving to San Diego. In Arraez’s debut with the Padres, he went 4-for-6 at the plate to become the first player in franchise history to record four hits in his debut.
Arraez was also selected as one the Padres’ five All-Stars after slashing .318/.346/.398 inn 117 games with San Diego.
Despite his success with the team, Arraez is reportedly not thrilled about his new position.
“I’m not a first baseman,” Arraez said to the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I’m not a DH. I play second base. But if the manager says, ‘Hey, you come play first base.’ I’ll be there. I’m a teammate. I want to play every day. If I see my name in the lineup, I’ll be excited and happy.”
Two-time All-Star first baseman Jake Cronenworth was the only Padres player to record more starts at first base than Arraez. Cronenworth made 80 starts at first base and 65 at second base, with Xander Bogaerts leading the team in starts at second base.
“All my years, I play second base,” Arraez said. “But I know we have Croney, and he can play anywhere. We have a lot of infielders here.”
With the loss of shortstop Ha-Seong Kim to free agency this offseason, Croneworth will likely play second base, while Bogaerts fills in at shortstop. This leaves Arraez as the Padres’ best option for a first baseman in 2025.
