The San Diego Padres are almost certainly going to let Luis Arraez hit the open market and find a new home, and rightfully so.
Arraez, the former Miami Marlins infielder, spent the majority of 2024 and the entire 2025 season in San Diego, albeit with mixed reviews.
In 2024, he played in 117 games in San Diego and hit .318, but in 2025, he took a giant step back, hitting just .292 in 154 games and struggling to produce runs while hitting in front of Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill.
Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report named the San Francisco Giants as the most logical landing spot. However, the Angels emerged as a dark horse option for Arraez.
"They have what they hope are building blocks in 23-year-olds Nolan Schanuel and Christian Moore at first and second base, respectively. But they also ranked dead-last in the majors in batting average in 2025, inexplicably finishing 25th in runs scored while fourth in total home runs. Bringing in Arraez to smack some singles could be a fantastic move," Miller wrote.
It's an interesting idea for the Angels, who missed the playoffs once again and have another new manager coming in 2026.
The question is whether or not the Angels spend the money on Arraez. Over the summer, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report predicted Arraez to land a deal under $100 million for multiple years, so it could be right up the Angels' alley while giving Arraez a chance to turn things around while staying in Southern California.
Arraez had said he hoped to remain in San Diego but said he would be "listening to everybody" in free agency, and the Angels could do a lot worse than Arraez.