The San Francisco Giants are in the midst of their three-game series against the Chicago Cubs, who are up two games.
The Giants lost their first matchup of the set on Friday, June 12, by a score of 5-1, followed by a 6-1 loss on Saturday, June 13.
Amid their grim season, speculations about their plans for the upcoming MLB Trade Deadline are in the air.
With that, baseball writer Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report believes San Francisco could be approaching a major move ahead of the deadline.
Giants’ Luis Arraez Named Top Hitter on the Trade Block
GettySan Francisco Giants’ Luis Arraez was named the top hitter on the trade block
Out of all Major League hitters who could find themselves being shipped out before the MLB Trade Deadline, Miller tabs 29-year-old infielder Luis Arraez as the top available candidate.
As he noted, Bleacher Report gives him an 8.5 out of 10 on their availability meter.
When considering their desirability meter, he lands at the same spot on the scale — an 8.5 out of 10.
Despite San Francisco’s disastrous season thus far, Arraez has undeniably been their silver lining at the plate. Not to mention, his defensive abilities have saved the ballclub on more than one occasion.
Miller bluntly described his transformation at second base as being “out of nowhere,” which is precisely the case.
He added, “If Arraez continues to bat well north of .300, though, there are bound to be several teams willing and able to find a way to make him their everyday second baseman.”
The Possibility of Acquiring Arraez Would Be Tempting
GettySan Francisco’s Luis Arraez could find himself being traded ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline
Landing a balanced player who can perform well on offense and defense is always ideal, but rarely accomplished.
Throughout his eight years of Major League Baseball experience, Arraez owns a slash line of .317/.363/.416 with a .778 OPS and 334 home runs.
Now playing his first stint with the Giants, he is slashing .324/.357/.441 with a .798 OPS and two homers through 68 games thus far.
Now, this hasn’t been his most productive campaign — that title goes to his 2023 performance with the Miami Marlins — but he is still showing power at the plate.
Since making his debut in May 2019, he has played with the Minnesota Twins, the Marlins, the San Diego Padres and now the Giants.
He is generally a well-rounded player who would likely provide value to any organization.
But Miller also points out the potential of San Francisco opting to trade him for a couple of rising prospects.
Snapshot of the Giants’ 2026 Campaign
GettySan Francisco Giants’ Luis Arraez could find himself on the trade block
At the time of this writing, San Francisco is riding a 28-43 overall record after their latest loss to Chicago.
This places them second-to-last in the National League West standings, sitting atop the Colorado Rockies at 26-45 overall.
As expected, the Los Angeles Dodgers (45-26) hold the helm at No. 1 in the division, followed by the Padres (36-33) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (35-35).
Once the Giants finish their series against the Cubs, they will hit the road and head to Truist Park to face the Atlanta Braves for a three-game series.
Defeating the Braves will not be an easy task, as they’re currently leading the big leagues 46-24 overall.
Of course, Arraez is expected to be in the lineup once again, which should offer some element of hope for San Francisco.
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This article was originally published on HEAVY
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