Yankees Rumors: Padres' Luis Arráez 'Not Seen as a Fit' Amid MLB Trade Buzz

Missing out on Gavin Lux doesn't necessarily mean the New York Yankees will pursue Luis Arráez as their next starting second baseman.

The Yankees currently don't see the San Diego Padres infielder "as a fit," according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi provided more background on where things stand between the Yankees and Padres:

The Yankees previously reached out to both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Padres about potential trades for Lux and Arráez, respectively, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The Dodgers instead traded Lux to the Cincinnati Reds, Passan reported on Monday.

The Yankees are seeking a replacement for Gleyber Torres, who left the club after three seasons as the team's primary second baseman in order to sign with the Detroit Tigers in free agency.

That made the Yankees a potential fit for Arráez, who could be on the trade block this winter. The San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee reported in December that the Padres had discussed trading him in order to free up payroll.

The 27-year-old is expected to earn around $13.7 million in his final season of arbitration before hitting free agency in 2026, per Spotrac.

After leading the NL with both a .314 batting average average and a career-high 200 hits during a 2024 campaign split between the Miami Marlins and Padres, Arráez could add offense to the Yankees' batting lineup following the departure of Juan Soto.

Arráez is also a left-handed hitter, making him a theoretical match for Yankee Stadium. He hit 28 home runs last year, but he would have recorded 38 in the Bronx, according to Baseball Savant.

The issue with Arráez's fit might stem instead from his work on defense. He recorded a .969 fielding percentage in 2024 while leading MLB in errors for a second straight season.

As Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported in November, Dodgers coaches and scouts told players ahead of the World Series the Yankees valued "talent over fundamentals" on the field.

If Yankees general manager Brian Cashman wanted to address that criticism this offseason, he could decide to prioritize finding reliable defense over offensive standouts.