The New York Yankees are reportedly exploring a potential trade for San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arraez ahead of Monday's August 3 trade deadline.

With captain Aaron Judge sidelined with a rib injury and the Yankees still trailing the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East, multiple reports noted that general manager Brian Cashman is under immense pressure to bring a high-level contact-hitting option into the strikeout-prone lineup.

In this context, ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel reported on Wednesday that the Yankees are one of the best fits for Arraez in their recent trade deadline analysis.

Arraez is currently playing on a one-year, $12 million deal he signed with the Giants over the winter. San Francisco, meanwhile, has completely fallen out of contention at 47-64 and is expected to be a seller at the trade deadline, per ESPN's report.

Offensively, Arraez is doing what he always does. The 3x batting champion is hitting .328/.364/.446 with 23 doubles and seven triples and a 122 wRC+ across 104 games.

He remains one of the toughest outs in baseball to strike out, on track to lead all of MLB in strikeout rate for a fifth straight season.

What's new is the glove. After years of being viewed as a defensive liability, Arraez has turned himself into a genuinely plus defender at second base this season, posting 11 outs-above-average.

The fit in New York is not simple, though. Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been holding down second base, while Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt have been splitting time in first base and DH.

Although Chisholm Jr. is a dynamic talent, he's having a rough year by his own standards — hitting just .224/.302/.403 with 14 home runs. Plus, he also becomes an unrestricted free agent after the current season, opening the door for Arraez.

The Arraez chase could turn into an AL East fight

Here's the catch: New York isn't the only AL East club chasing him. Passan and McDaniel listed the Rays and Red Sox among Arraez’s best fits as well.

FanSided’s trade ideas show why the price could get tricky.

For Boston, the proposed package starts with right-hander Blake Wehunt, who has a 3.32 ERA in Double-A and Triple-A. It includes outfielder Allan Castro, who has nine homers in Triple-A, and catcher Ronny Hernandez, who is hitting .296/.414/.572 in High-A.

For the Yankees, FanSided suggested left-hander Pico Kohn, who has only one game of pro experience, outfielder Jace Avina, who is hitting .260/.357/.523 in Double-A, and outfielder Eric Genther, who is hitting .273/.403/.427 in High-A.

The same report noted that the Rays can sacrifice their 2025 third-round pick Taitn Gray, who is hitting .281/.395/.472, and first-round pick Brayden Taylor, who is hitting .284/.380/.514 in Double-A.

Tampa Bay is sitting in first place at 65-45, while the Yankees are right behind them at 62-49 and Boston is 59-51. So, if one of those three lands Arraez, it does not just add a bat. It also takes one away from the other two.

Read more at the New York Yankees Community!

Written by

Md Saife Fida