Despite playing just over a year’s worth of games with the , infielder holds deep reverence for the 305. “I didn’t want to sleep last night. I was tired, but I didn’t want to sleep because [LoanDepot] Park is beautiful,” Arraez said.
“A lot of fans supported me. There’s a lot of community, [particularly] Latin community here and I hope they come in to watch the game.” If Arraez appears a bit sentimental, that is because he has every reason to be.
During his short stint in Miami, the Venezuelan product won his second batting title, became the first Marlins player to hit for the cycle, represented his country at the World Baseball Classic and played a significant role in clinching an unlikely postseason berth for the Marlins. But once the 2024 season began and the team fell quickly out of playoff contention, President of Operations Peter Bendix had to make some difficult decisions. The newly minted Marlins executive made the difficult choice to trade the 27-year old infielder to the (65-52) in early May in exchange for four prospects: pitcher Wook-suk Go, first baseman , outfielder Jakob Marsee and outfielder Dillon Head.
Arraez is considered to be among the best contact hitters in the MLB, but concerns about his defense at second base and lack of slugging have diminished his value. Moreover, it appears that the Marlins (43-74) have already found their contact hitter of the future in , who the team also hopes can play a more premium defensive position at shortst.