Blue Jays free agent target: Luis Arráez
Photo credit: © Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Oct 29, 2026, 15:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 28, 2026, 22:45 EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays like position players who make contact.
There are few players in baseball who are better pure hitters than Luis Arráez. For that alone, he’s a fit, but he is also second baseman, a position that the Toronto Blue Jays need to fill this off-season.
The million dollar question is whether or not he’s a fit for the team? Let’s find out!
Luis Arráez’ profile
Since joining the big leagues in 2019, Arráez has been one of, if not, the best pure hitters in baseball. Over 4,188 plate appearances the last eight seasons, he has a .316 batting average.
No qualified player in baseball in the span of the last eight seasons comes as close to Arráez in the batting average department, with only four other players even batting .300. Only two of those players, Freddie Freeman and Yordan Álvarez, have more than 2,000 plate appearances, and both have either won or are going to win their respective league’s MVP award.
What stopped Arráez from moving into star territory was the fact that his hitting ability was the only tool that was even average. Over those 4,188 plate appearances, the second baseman has hit just 42 home runs, third-fewest of any player with 3,000 plate appearances since the start of the 2019 season.
He’s not a particularly strong runner either, but he’s stolen double-digit bases in back-to-back seasons, the first time he’s done that.
However, the biggest concern was his defence. Coming into the 2026 season, Arráez had -6 Defensive Runs Saved at second base, along with -36 Outs Above Average and -27 Fielding Run Value.
Well, the 29-year-old’s numbers improved drastically in 2026. While his -4 DRS is the second-worst mark of his career, Arráez’s OAA jumped to 12, while his FRV jumped to 10. Both OAA and FRV are better metrics to evaluate infield defence, so this is a positive development.
Arráez gives good at-bats, gets on base, fits what the Blue Jays need, and produces in high leverage, but is he worth it? Honestly, probably not.
While he is a second baseman, there are other free agents at the position who are just flat out better. Jazz Chisholm Jr. had a tough season in 2026, but had a 30/30 season in 2025. Brandon Lowe, another free agent, hit 35 home runs last season with strong defence. There’s also Gleyber Torres and potentially some middle infielders who’ll be available to trade for.
So while Arráez is technically a fit and has attributes that the Blue Jays front office likes, signing him would be a bit disappointing when there are better options out there.
Cynthia Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, DFOEdmonton, and DFOCalgary. She can be followed on Twitter @CynthiaRDelaney.