Luis Arraez has once again been traded, this time to the Philadelphia Phillies. The MLB trade deadline is almost here, and the Phillies have made some aggressive moves already. Let’s take a look at what this Arraez trade means for Philadelphia.
The Phillies are also receiving Caleb Kilian in this trade, a move that could be similar to the Jonathan Bowlan acquisition made in the offseason. He has great underlying numbers that the Phillies probably feel they can capitalize on.
Arraez was perhaps the best bat available for trade when the Phillies made the deal Monday morning. He is a three-time batting champion and a career .318 hitter. He has made a career off of being a contact first guy who can spray the ball to all fields.
Arraez is hitting .324 this season with just 21 strikeouts. For reference, Kyle Schwarber has 22 strikeouts in his last 14 games. His career high in strikeouts is only 48, a number that nine Phillies have already surpassed this year.
Arraez will play second base in Philadelphia, a move that will require some more shifts that we will discuss later on. He has been much improved defensively this season, likely a reason as to why he doesn’t want to switch positions.
The Phillies gave up fast-rising pitching prospect Ramon Marquez as the headliner in the trade package. He was the teams fourth ranked prospect and was considered likely to rise into the MLB top 100 prospect list soon. Marty Gair, a 23-year-old RHP, was also thrown into the trade.
Marquez is a big-time get for the San Francisco Giants. He was viewed by some around the Phillies prospect as a better and more valuable piece than Gage Wood. He has a 1.68 ERA in High-A this season.
Gair is not a player that will draw too many eyes in this trade, nor should he. He is simply a throw in that the Giants may see something in that could have him reach the MLB someday. He has a 4.5 ERA at High-A.
The Phillies will need to get creative in the aftermath of this trade. There are a few different scenarios in which this plays out, and all of them require some serious shifts in the defensive alignment.
Bryce Harper has expressed his willingness to return to the outfield if the Phillies acquire a player who would require that. Arraez will certainly be the second baseman, as he has insisted throughout all trade talks. Stott could move to 3B, leaving Bohm to go to 1B.
Harper could remain at 1B if Bohm is traded in a deal later today; however, that seems pretty unlikely. If they do opt to trade him, look out for a starting pitcher to be the return. The Seattle Mariners seem like an obvious fit with Emerson Hancock and George Kirby.
The last scenario, mentioned by The Athletics’ Matt Gelb, is one that no one has even considered. It isn’t Trea Turner moving to the outfield; it would be Stott making the switch. Gelb noted that the club has had discussions about moving Stott to the OF internally.
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