While the San Diego Padres ultimately may have provided the Miami Marlins with the desired trade package for Luis Arraez, reports indicate that the Kansas City Royals were also involved in trade discussions.
According to a report by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal on Monday, the Kansas City Royals were involved in trade discussions with the Miami Marlins last week regarding second baseman Luis Arraez. However, these talks didn’t progress beyond initial stages, as the San Diego Padres ultimately acquired Arraez on Friday.
Rosenthal also mentioned that the Seattle Mariners had been pursuing Arraez since the offseason, similar to the Padres. In the end, San Diego secured the deal by sending reliever Woo-Suk Go, outfielders Dillon Head and Jakob Marsee, along with first baseman Nathan Martorella, to Miami.
The Royals had shown a strong commitment this winter by their standards, and pursuing Arraez would have continued their trend of investing in established veterans.
In November, the Kansas City Royals added utility player Garrett Hampson to their roster, followed by outfielder Hunter Renfroe in December, and utility player Adam Frazier in January. Their efforts to strengthen the pitching staff included signing Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha from the Padres in free agency, acquiring Kyle Wright via trade, and signing relievers Will Smith and Chris Stratton, among others.
Recently, Michael Massey has taken on the role of primary second baseman for the Royals, filling in for Frazier and Nick Loftin, who was sent down to Triple-A. Massey has performed well, boasting a .292 batting average, .785 OPS, and a 0.6 WAR for the season. However, acquiring Arraez would have provided Kansas City with an even more potent offensive threat.
Arraez earned All-Star honors with the Minnesota Twins in 2022 and repeated the feat with the Marlins in 2023. He clinched Silver Slugger awards in both seasons and secured batting titles in both the American League and National League.
The 27-year-old infielder currently holds a .311 batting average with a .740 OPS and a 0.3 WAR for the season. Throughout his career, Arraez boasts a .325 batting average, an .802 OPS, and a 15.3 WAR.
In his debut with the Padres on Saturday, Arraez went 4-for-6, followed by a 1-for-5 performance on Sunday. Meanwhile, Massey had a productive weekend of his own, going 4-for-8.
Despite their strong start to the season with a 20-15 record, which puts them on track for their first winning season since their 2015 World Series victory, it seems the Royals may not be in dire need of Arraez in their lineup at the moment, although his addition could have potentially bolstered their chances further.