Giants' Luis Arraez Opens Up on Departure From Padres

Veteran infielder joins San Francisco to provide more contact at the plate and return to his natural position.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 11:12pm by Ben Kaplan

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Luis Arraez, the veteran infielder, signed a one-year deal with the San Francisco Giants in the offseason. Arraez cited two key reasons for joining the Giants - the team's need for more contact hitters to complement their power-heavy lineup, and Arraez's desire to return to playing second base full-time, where he began his career with the Minnesota Twins.

Why it matters

Arraez is known as one of the toughest outs in baseball, making consistent contact and putting the ball in play. His addition to the Giants' lineup should help balance out their tendency towards strikeouts and provide more opportunities to manufacture runs. Arraez is also excited to return to his natural position at second base after spending time at first and third in recent seasons.

The details

After spending the last two seasons with the San Diego Padres, Arraez signed a one-year, $12 million contract with the Giants in the offseason. The Giants were looking to add more contact hitters to their lineup, which had become too reliant on power and strikeouts. Arraez, a career .314 hitter, fits that mold perfectly. He's also eager to return to playing second base full-time, where he began his MLB career with the Minnesota Twins.

  • Arraez signed a one-year deal with the Giants in the 2026 offseason.
  • Arraez spent the last two seasons with the San Diego Padres prior to joining the Giants.

The players

Luis Arraez

A veteran infielder who signed a one-year, $12 million contract with the San Francisco Giants in the 2026 offseason. Arraez is known for his elite contact skills and ability to put the ball in play.

San Francisco Giants

The MLB team that signed Luis Arraez in the 2026 offseason to help balance out their power-heavy lineup with more contact hitting.

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What they’re saying

“It's a lot of emotional things today, especially for me,”

— Luis Arraez, Giants Infielder

The takeaway

Arraez's addition to the Giants' lineup should provide a much-needed boost in contact hitting and help the team find more ways to manufacture runs beyond just relying on home runs. His return to second base full-time is also an exciting development for the veteran infielder.