The agreement was initially reported on Saturday by ESPN’s Jorge Castillo. After playing just 14 games in 154 games in 2025, Arraez, who was primarily a first baseman and designated hitter for the Padres, is supposedly going to play second base for the Giants. After winning batting titles with the Minnesota Twins (2022), Miami Marlins (2023), and Padres (2024), the three-time All-Star will try to do so again in San Francisco.
Last year, Arraez, 28, swiped 11 bases in 15 attempts while slashing.292/.327/.392. In MLB history, no player has led his league in hitting average while playing for four separate teams.
Arraez is a throwback to a bygone age of baseball, when hitters have been more ready to give up strikeouts in order to hit the ball hard in the air. He led the league in strikeout percentage for the fourth straight season in season, striking out 21 times in 675 plate appearances.
Last season, Arraez has the lowest strikeout percentage of any player with at least 600 plate appearances since Bill Buckner in 1980 (3.1%).
Arraez is a left-handed batter who has consistently outperformed left-handers (.644 OPS last year, .673 career) against right-handed pitchers (.751 OPS last year, .812 career). In 2026, he will be part of a Giants lineup that should be difficult on righties, along with two left-handed sluggers, veteran Rafael Devers and rookie Bryce Eldridge.
In a challenging NL West, the Giants want to end a run of poor seasons. They haven’t won more than 81 (or fewer than 79) games in a season in the four years since setting a franchise record with 107 games in 2021. Harrison Bader, a free agent center fielder, inked a $20.5 million contract with the Giants earlier this week.
