The Miami Marlins have started their 2024 season with a record of 0-8. If they continue to struggle, they may decide to make infielder Luis Arráez available for trade, according to Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin of The Athletic.If that happens, are the Boston Red Sox a good option for the two-time Silver Slugger winner?
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer looked at potential options for Arráez if Miami wants to trade the 2023 MLB batting champion. The Red Sox were mentioned as one of three honorable mentions.
“With a 26.0% strikeout rate this season, the Red Sox could benefit from a hitter like Arraez,” Rymer said. “But Vaughn Grissom won’t be out forever and he deserves to show what he can do.
Boston acquired Grissom through a trade in the offseason from the with the Atlanta Braves in December. They traded starting pitcher Chris Sale and cash to the Braves for the 23-year-old.
Arráez is making $10.6 million in 2024 and won’t become a free agent until after the 2025 season, per Spotrac.
What Luis Arráez Could Bring to the Boston Red Sox Lineup
Like the Marlins, Arráez has had a slow start in 2024. His first 38 plate appearances have resulted in a .188/.316/.219 triple slash. However, recent performance shows he would greatly improve Boston’s everyday lineup.
Arráez has won the batting title in both leagues over the past two years. He had a .316 average with the Minnesota Twins in 2022, followed by a .354 mark with the Marlins in 2023, according to Baseball-Reference. In 1,220 plate appearances from 2022-23, the left-handed hitter has slashed .335/.384/.445, including 61 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs, 118 RBI and 159 runs. This led to two All-Star Game selections, two Silver Slugger Awards and two top-15 finishes in MVP voting.
While Arráez’s current 2024 strikeout rate is 15.8% through a small sample size, his career-long strikeout rate is just 7.7%, according to FanGraphs. His ability to make contact with the ball and get on base would be great for the top of manager Alex Cora’s order. It’d also allow third baseman Rafael Devers to move down a spot and possibly get more chances to bat in runners.
How Could Luis Arráez Fit in With the 2024 Boston Red Sox?
As Rymer mentioned in his brief article about a potential fit between Boston and Arráez, the Red Sox should be set at both middle infield positions. Grissom will be at second base and Trevor Story is the starting shortstop.
But if the Red Sox can maintain their strong start (they’re 5-2 in seven games), they may look for improvements if injuries continue. Vaughn began the season on the injured list with a hamstring strain. While Boston hopes he'll be back by the end of April, that’s still uncertain as he increases his baseball activity.
Story is healthy and has played in all seven Red Sox games leading up to April 5. However, he’s coming off two injury-filled seasons. The start of Story’s six-year, $140 million deal included him playing just 137 of a possible 324 games, according to Baseball-Reference.
If he gets hurt again this year, Grissom would have to move to shortstop (his original position) and there would be a potential vacancy at second base. It would be a complicated situation for the Red Sox and may not be an ideal match. However, anything is possible if Boston continues to exceed expectations in the league.
