The MLB trade deadline is set for Monday at 6 p.m. ET, and the league has already seen several blockbuster moves over the last 24 hours.
One major domino has yet to fall, whether the San Francisco Giants will trade infielder Luis Arraez. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, one team has emerged as the heavy favorite to land him if the Giants decide to move him before Monday’s deadline.
Heavy Favorite Emerges for Arraez
Nightengale reported Sunday morning, just over 24 hours before the deadline, that the Tampa Bay Rays have emerged as the clear favorite to acquire Arraez.
Nightengale: Rays considered âheavy favoriteâ to trade for Luis Arraez. pic.twitter.com/LgVoeQIpsi
â Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 2, 2026
Arraez’s 2026 Season
Arraez has built his career around getting on base, making him a natural fit for a Rays lineup that currently owns the best record in the American League.
Through 104 games and 415 at-bats this season, Arraez is batting an MLB-best .328 with 52 runs, 136 hits, four home runs, and 43 RBIs. He’s also slugging .446 with an .810 OPS.
Over the course of his eight-year career, Arraez owns a .318 batting average. He has already won three batting titles and is on pace to capture a fourth this season.
Rays Right Now
Tampa Bay sits atop the AL East, holding a 3.5-game lead over the New York Yankees and a 6.0-game advantage over the Boston Red Sox.
With the best record in the American League and 52 games remaining entering Sunday’s series finale against the Chicago White Sox, the Rays control their own destiny in both winning the division, but also claiming the top overall seed and home-field advantage throughout the AL postseason.Â
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Heavy Favorite Emerges to Trade for Luis Arraez Before Deadline: Report appeared first on HEAVY.