Miami Marlins former second baseman Luis Arraez. Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Marlins' salary decision makes Luis Arraez trade even more puzzling

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 5/4/24

The Padres added second baseman Luis Arraez in a blockbuster trade with the Marlins on Friday night, and ESPN's Alden Gonzalez reported Saturday that Miami is covering most of his contract, at least for the 2023 season.

San Diego will only have to pay Arraez the minimum salary, with the Fish paying the remaining $10.6 million he is owed.

Source: The Marlins are paying Luis Arraez’s contract down to the minimum in their deal with the Padres.

He’s making $10.6M this season, in his second-to-last year before free agency.

— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) May 4, 2024

The Marlins received three prospects for Arraez, but none are in MLB’s top 100 list, and only one ranked in the Padres’ organizational top five. Dillon Head, the key piece heading to Miami, now ranks fifth in Miami’s system in MLB.com’s rankings.

Per @MLBPipeline, here’s where Miami’s new prospects rank:

OF Dillon Head: 5th
OF Jakob Marsee: 10th
1B/OF Nathan Martorella: 11th pic.twitter.com/QHUKAXvG4W

— Isaac Azout (@IsaacAzout) May 4, 2024

The Marlins being sellers makes sense, as the team is 9-25 and keeps finding new lows, but dealing a 27-year-old two-time batting champion without getting high-end prospects or salary relief in return is unjustifiable. However, that could also say more about how other teams valued Arraez.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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