Will Luis Arraez (28, San Diego Padres), the "hit king" who set the eighth record in MLB history, leave the team in less than a season.안전놀이터

U.S. media Newsweek said on the 7th (Korea Standard Time) that "Araez is likely to start a new season on the fourth team in the last four years," adding, "San Diego has placed it as a trade target."

Arraez is a player with the best contact ability in the Major League. Since his debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2019, he has posted a batting average of 0.323 (8,47 hits in 2,624 at-bats) of 28 homers, 247 RBIs and 370 runs scored, and an OPS of 0.790, in 686 games during his six seasons. He is so popular and talented that he has been named an All-Star for three consecutive years.

Arraez became the first player to win the title of batting champion for the second consecutive year by changing leagues. He went to the San Diego Padres in early May through a four-on-one trade, which included Ko Woo-suk (27), making headlines in Korea.

Arraez started the three consecutive games with one hit from 14 times at bat (0.071) last year, and only had a batting average of around 100 until the ninth game. After moving to the San Diego Padres, however, he posted a batting average of 0.318, and ranked No. 1 again with a batting average of 0.314. He became the eighth player in the history of the Major League to become the batting champion for the third consecutive year.

Why do you want to trade Arraez without using it for a single season? The media reported that the San Diego Padres will cut its gross annual salary ahead of the 2025 season. The San Diego Padres, which started tight management after former owner Peter Seidler passed away in November 2023, already took out loans to pay its players' annual salary in September of the same year.

San Diego, where even Kim Ha-sung (30) has already broken up without exercising his options, has left open the possibility of a trade, with Araez mentioned as the leading candidate along with pitcher Dylan Sheese. In particular, according to sports media ESPN, the New York Yankees, who have a gap in the second baseman position, are reportedly negotiating.

The player himself wants to stay. "If the team wants it, I want to stay in this team," Araez said in an interview after failing to pass the NLDS last year. "This is business. I understand that. But I want to stay here for a long time."