Yankees' Luis Arraez Disrespect is Beyond Mind-Boggling

For years, New York Yankees fans have complained the team doesn't make enough contact and strikes out too much. That it relies too much on the long ball. That it doesn't know to get hits in big spots.

You know who would solve all of those problems? Luis Arraez.

A three-time batting champion and a lifetime .316 hitter, the best mark among active players, Arraez would check every single box Yankees fans have long been looking for.

And guess what? Arraez is a free agent this winter, so New York can sign him outright.

But for some reason, an uncomfortably large swath of Yankees supporters either a.) are completely opposed to the idea, or b.) aren't considering Arraez to be one of their better options at second base.

Huh?

You've been asking for a player like Arraez forever. He batted .310 and struck out just 28 times in 2026. He hit .339 with runners in scoring position. What is the issue?

The whole "well he doesn't walk" argument is nonsense. He still owns a career .360 on-base percentage because the guy knows how to hit. Who cares how he gets on base?

I understand the premise behind it. Some are worried that a sudden dropoff in his bat would make him all but useless at the plate, but we certainly haven't seen it yet.

I'm also getting exhausted of hearing the criticisms about Arraez's defense. He posted 12 outs above average and a plus-10 fielding run value in 2026. Sure, historically, he hasn't been great at second, but this past season represented a big turnaround for him.

Plus, many of the same people who are expressing concern about Arraez's glove also would be perfectly fine with Luis Garcia Jr. getting a shot at second base. How does that make sense?

Arraez is a career .347 hitter with runners in scoring position and a .341 hitter in high-leverage spots. He is the exact type of lineup presence the Yankees have long needed, and you're sitting here worried about his defense when Garcia is a candidate for his position.

I just don't understand it.

You aren't signing Brandon Lowe. He just received a qualifying offer from the Pittsburgh Pirates, meaning New York would have to part with draft compensation and international bonus pool money to land him. It isn't happening.

Where are your superior options to Arraez? Gleyber Torres? Nonsense. The Yankees tried that, and we know how it ended.

New York should be making a heavy push for Arraez this winter. Anything else would be unacceptable.