Philadelphia Phillies Receive More Bad News on Luis Arraez

The Philadelphia Phillies are without second baseman Luis Arraez in the Wild Card Series, which is already bad enough for an offense that struggled to score runs as it is.

But the Phillies have now received even more tough news on Arraez, and while it has nothing to do with his ankle injury he suffered late in the season, it will have a direct impact on his future in Philadelphia.

The Phillies acquired Arraez at the MLB trade deadline back in August, knowing full well that the three-time batting champion was slated to hit free agency over the winter. But based on the one-year, $12 million deal he signed with the San Francisco Giants last year, it seemed like there was a good chance Philadelphia could re-sign him.

That may have changed.

MLB insider Pat Ragazzo has reported that one rival executive anticipates Arraez will receive a tremendous pay day on the open market, going as far to predict the 29-year-old to bag a five-year, $100 million contract.

That would make Arraez the fourth-highest paid second baseman in baseball behind Marcus Semien, Jose Altuve and Nico Hoerner.

Horner inked a six-year, $141 million extension with the Chicago Cubs back in March, and the exec feels that Arraez could land a similar deal in terms of average annual value.

Arraez slashed .310/.345/.419 with six home runs and 64 RBI over 655 plate appearances in 2026, and while he has not been typically known for having an elite glove, he posted 12 outs above average at second base this season to go along with a plus-10 FRV.

Overall, the lefty slugger registered a career-high 4.1 WAR, so you can absolutely see why he is expected to receive a hefty contract.

The question is whether or not the Phillies will be willing to paying it.

Philadelphia monitored its payroll pretty closely last offseason, and while it was willing to hand Bo Bichette a lucrative long-term contract, it remains to be seen if Dave Dombrowski would be open to doing so for Arraez.

The Phillies desperately need offense, and there is no question that Arraez improved their lineup after arriving. But they need more than just Arraez.

Philadelphia is in clear need of another power bat in the outfield, and it also must add some pieces in the bullpen.

Will the Phillies have enough money to do that and re-sign Arraez at $20 million annually over five years? We're about to find out.

In the meantime, Philadelphia will look to stave off elimination against the Atlanta Braves in Game 2 of its Wild Card Series on Wednesday afternoon.