The Padres are trading for one of the best hitters in the game.

Photo: Luis Arraez in Padres jersey, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr, Xander Bogaerts in Padres jerseys with peeping eyes behind him

The San Diego Padres are off to a disappointing 16-18 start and you just knew AJ Preller was going to make a move sooner or later.

The Padres are trading for Miami Marlins stud Luis Arraez.

Via Jeff Passan:

“BREAKING: The San Diego Padres are nearing a deal to acquire second baseman Luis Arraez from the Miami Marlins for a package of three prospects and a relief pitcher, a source familiar with the deal tells ESPN. The trade is in medical review but is expected to be finalized soon.”

Ken Rosenthal confirmed the deal is done:

“Source confirms: Padres acquiring Luis Arraez from Marlins for three prospects and a reliever.”

This seemingly came out of nowhere, but it is important to note that Arraez has been a trade candidate for a Marlins team that is struggling immensely this season. Even last year, the Fish barely got into the playoffs and were clearly the weakest ball club of the bunch, winning 33 games by one run. Might as well get rid of your best player, a two-time batting champ, and acquire some prospects in return.

How does Luis Arraez fit with Padres?

Arraez is one of the best hitters in the sport. He may not have a ton of power, but the Venezuelan is an absolute hit machine. Arraez slashed .354 in 2023 with the Marlins while going deep 10 times. This year, he’s batting .299. Despite having just nine extra-base hits, Arraez is a tough out every time he steps up to the plate.

One could ask, why would the Padres trade for a second baseman when they have Xander Bogaerts already? Well, Arraez is versatile and can play first base. But more likely than not, he’ll just be San Diego’s DH and focus strictly on his bat. Even though Bogaerts is struggling immensely to find himself offensively, he is a solid defender and he’ll eventually find his best at the dish.

Back to Arraez. The 27-year-old has only struck out 7.5% of his at-bats in the Majors, serving as potentially the best contact hitter in the MLB. He becomes a free agent after the 2025 season so it’ll be interesting to see if the Padres look to sign him long-term or not.

All in all, a great deal for the Padres.