Yankees-Luis Arraez optimism takes immediate hit in Gavin Lux trade fallout

The New York Yankees are still searching for their Gleyber Torres replacement in the infield. Paul Goldschmidt can effectively man first base, while Jazz Chisholm is flexible between second or third, but the Yankees still need one dependable infielder to tie the whole post-Juan Soto depth chart together.

Among their rumored targets is San Diego Padres second baseman Luis Arraez, who once again led the National League in batting average last season (.314). Arraez has three straight batting crowns under his belt — and three straight All-Star appearances, to boot. At 27 years old, it's not hard to understand why the Yankees would take interest in his reported availability.

Arraez is entering the final year of arbitration eligibility on his contract. He's due for a payday in 2026 and the Padres, who are also floating Dylan Cease's expiring contract on the trade market, don't appear keen to pay up.

That said, while Arraez makes a ton of sense for New York as an ultra-dependable bat to plant in front of Aaron Judge in the lineup, a bucket of cold water was dumped on the hype train Monday afternoon.

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Yankees don't appear too eager to trade for Luis Arraez after all

After Gavin Lux, another reported Yankees target, was dealt to Cincinnati, there was speculation that he could be flipped again to the Yankees. That speculation was quickly shot down, however, which appeared to clear the way for Arraez to wind up in pinstripes.

That was, until Jon Heyman of the New York Post came in from the top rope with some definitive reporting on the subject.

He does qualify his reporting with a loaded "for now," but there has been just as much skepticism as optimism around a potential Arraez-Yankees pairing. For all his bat-to-ball excellence, Arraez offers very little power at the top of the lineup and he doesn't draw a ton of walks. He also isn't much of a defender. To call him a one-trick pony is a bridge too far, but Arraez's impact is more limited than one might think when gawking at his career .323 batting average and glancing over his awards resume.

Arraez finished last season with a meager 1.0 WAR and .739 OPS. When framed that way, it feels substantially less impressive. There isn't a better imaginable setup for Arraez than batting leadoff in front of Aaron Judge — talk about protection — but even so, the Yankees are not unwise for considering alternatives, especially if Arraez's accolades are inflating his market.

The free agent pool contains plenty of intriguing alternatives, whether the Yankees want to swoop in and splurge on Alex Bregman or take a more mid-tier approach with Yoan Moncada, Ha-seong Kim or Nicky Lopez.

However the Yankees decide to approach the situation, something has to get done. The infield depth chart won't stand up well as it's currently constructed. Brian Cashman and the front office have done an excellent job rebuilding on the fly following Soto's departure, but New York can't afford to get cheap now. A World Series — and Judge's prime — are on the line.