It is May 3rd, 2024, and we already have a major blockbuster trade in this young MLB season. We usually have to wait until July or August for trades to go down, but the Miami Marlins and San Diego Padres made an exception. For the Marlins, it’s a familiar story. Per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Marlins have traded star second baseman Luis Arráez to the San Diego Padres for prospects Dylan Head, Nathan Martorella, and Jacob Marsee—as well as relief pitching prospect Woo Suk-Go.
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.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) May 4, 2024
The return, per source: Dillon Head, Woo Suk-Go, Jakob Marsee, Nathan Martorella. On it: @CraigMish https://t.co/VnxhAkLdyT
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 4, 2024
Padres Acquire Luis Arráez In Blockbuster Trade
What The Trade Means For The Marlins
It’s very unusual for a team to declare themselves sellers in May, but for the Marlins, it’s hard to blame them. As the Marlins play the Oakland Athletics in Oakland, Miami sits at 9-24—last in the National League East and 13.0 games back of the first-place Atlanta Braves. Once again, the Marlins find themselves trading young players in their primes because of a multitude of reasons. It’s because they can’t afford them, and the team is struggling to win games. In Luis Arráez’s case, he has one year left of arbitration before becoming a free agent after the 2025 season. Miami decided to trade him now with his value at its highest.
Miami is just coming off a playoff season in 2023. It was their second postseason appearance in the last couple of years. They also made the playoffs in 2020. They acquired Arráez in January 2023 from the Minnesota Twins and just one year later, Arráez once again has a new home as he looks for a new contract.
What The Trade Means For The Padres
The Padres once again make a bold move to try and upgrade a talented roster that is once again underperforming. The Padres currently sit at 16-18, and a slumping Xander Bogaerts is operating second base. Bogaerts’s status as the everyday second baseman now is in jeopardy with the acquisition of Arráez. However, they could move him back to shortstop, where he made a name for himself as a member of the Boston Red Sox. They could also slot Arráez as the designated hitter.
Padres potential lineup with addition of Luis Arraez:
— Sammy Levitt (@SammyLev) May 4, 2024
Luis Arraez DH
Fernando Tatis Jr. RF
Jake Cronenworth 1B
Manny Machado 3B
Xander Bogaerts 2B
Jurickson Profar LF
Luis Campusano C
Ha-Seong Kim SS
Jackson Merrill CF
In December 2022, Bogaerts signed an 11-year, $280 million contract with San Diego. As mentioned, Arráez will be a free agent after 2025, as he has one more year left of arbitration. Regardless, he will join a lineup with Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr, and Manny Machado as they try to turn their season around.
Main Photo Credits: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
