Luis Arraez Trade Buzz Has One Surprise Team Leading the Chase

The Luis Arraez trade rumors aren’t going anywhere. And as the deadline creeps closer, the list of potential landing spots is starting to take shape.

Jon Morosi, speaking on MLB Network this week, pointed to two teams that make sense for the San Francisco Giants infielder. The Chicago Cubs are in the mix, sure. But it’s the Texas Rangers who Morosi keeps circling back to.

“The Cubs are a possibility, depending on their needs,” Morosi said. “As you get closer, I would highlight most of all, though, the Texas Rangers. The Rangers have now, with a really good surge in recent days, they’ve pulled even with the Mariners, and even better at times in the American League West. They’re looking for offense, they’ve had some injuries in their lineup, but the Rangers, to me, in an American League West, where some teams have disappointed, the Rangers are now moving towards the top, so I’ve got Luis Arraez and the Rangers as a possible fit.”

That makes sense. Texas has been clawing back into the AL West race after a slow start. They need bats. And Arraez is the kind of hitter who doesn’t just fill a hole — he changes how a lineup works.

What Arraez brings to the table

This season in San Francisco, Arraez is hitting .326 with four home runs and 32 RBIs. But the number that jumps out is 13 strikeouts in 322 at-bats. He just doesn’t whiff. That kind of contact skill is rare and it’s valuable for a team trying to grind out wins in a tight division race.

The Giants picked up Arraez in a trade with the Marlins last offseason, and he’s been everything they could have hoped for. But San Francisco isn’t exactly setting the world on fire. If they decide to sell, Arraez is their most obvious chip.

The Cubs have also been mentioned as a potential fit for the left-handed hitter. Chicago’s lineup has been inconsistent, and Arraez could slot in at second base or as a designated hitter. But the Rangers feel like the more urgent fit right now.

Texas has dealt with injuries to key guys like Josh Jung and others. Their offense has been streaky. Adding a guy who puts the ball in play almost every time up could stabilize things in a way that power hitters sometimes can’t.

Arraez is still under team control beyond this season, so any trade isn’t a pure rental. That gives the Giants some leverage. And it means the Rangers — or whoever ends up with him — would be making a move that pays off now and later.

For now, it’s all speculation. But the Rangers look like a team that could make something happen before the bell rings. Morosi’s comments just add a little more fuel to a fire that’s been smoldering for weeks.