Ranking Phillies 2B Luis Arraez's Top 5 Landing Spots Ahead of MLB Free Agency

Any club pursuing three-time batting champion Luis Arraez will likely need a plan to play him regularly at second base.

In a 2026 season split between the San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies, Arraez returned to his natural position of second base. In terms of outs above average, he had the best season of his career, with San Francisco infield coach Ron Washington credited with helping his defensive growth.

Arraez should do better this offseason than the one-year, $12 million deal he settled for last offseason. He was unavailable for the Phillies' Wild Card Series loss to Atlanta because of a sprained left ankle, though the injury is not expected to affect his availability for 2027.

Let's take a look at the best potential landing spots for the four-time All-Star.

Whether the Rangers are in on Arraez will depend on whether managing partner Ray Davis authorizes president of baseball operations Chris Young to add payroll in the offseason.

From a baseball perspective, the Rangers' second basemen posted an OPS south of .700 this season. Clearly, Arraez would give them more offensively than they got in 2026.

Top prospect Sebastian Walcott is a shortstop/third baseman who is expected to play a role for the team in 2027. But even with Corey Seager at shortstop and Josh Jung at third base, Walcott seems more likely to play outfield than second base. There aren't many 6'4" second basemen.

Arraez didn't perform as well with the Phillies as he did with the Giants, but his track record suggests that over a larger sample size, he will hit for a higher average.

The Phillies dealt pitching prospects Ramon Marquez and Marty Gair to acquire Arraez and reliever Caleb Kilian, so they should at least consider a reunion in free agency.

That said, some of this will come down to how the Phillies want to set up their infield in 2027. Alec Bohm will likely depart in free agency, while Bryce Harper is expected to return to first base.

Will the Phillies move Trea Turner off of shortstop, and if so will that be to second base or left field? What about Bryson Stott, whom the team likes at second base but moved to third to accommodate Arraez? Also looming is top prospect Aidan Miller, who missed most of 2026 but is an exciting bat who can play shortstop or third base.

Many moving parts make it unclear whether the Phillies will commit to multiple seasons of Arraez at second base. Still, his presence behind Bryce Harper gave Philadelphia a contact-oriented option in the heart of its lineup and may have made it easier for Harper to remain selective at the plate.

Will the Pirates extend the qualifying offer to Brandon Lowe? It's always difficult to know how owner Bob Nutting will operate. Even if the QO goes to Lowe, one would think he'd decline it in search of a multi-year commitment.

If Lowe ends up not returning to Pittsburgh, the Buccos will have a hole at second base. One way to soften the negative reaction to not bringing Lowe back after an excellent contract year is to sign a replacement as accomplished as Arraez.

You could do worse than a middle-infield pairing of Arraez and Konnor Griffin, especially in terms of offensive production.

It's rare but not unheard of for a player to get traded midseason and then return to the club that traded him in the offseason as a free agent. This might be one of the instances where it makes sense, though.

Arraez not only built a great relationship with the aforementioned Washington, but he also hit .324 in 105 games with the Giants. While home run hitters other than Barry Bonds don't love Oracle Park, Arraez's offensive profile fit the park well. In 49 games at Oracle Park in 2026, Arraez hit .361.

This may come down to whether the Giants are comfortable with Casey Schmitt playing elsewhere on the diamond so Arraez can resume as the team's second baseman. Offensively, Arraez remains a great fit for the Giants.

The Tigers will have quite a bit of money coming off the books this offseason, including the $22.025 million that Gleyber Torres made after accepting the qualifying offer last winter.

Arraez spent the first four seasons of his career with the Minnesota Twins, so a return to the AL Central could make sense. It's a bit surprising that Arraez has hit only .265 in 88 career plate appearances at Comerica Park, but the spacious outfield suits a contact hitter.

Additionally, with Torres coming off the books, the Tigers will have an opening at second base. Adding Arraez's bat-to-ball skills could help Detroit rebound from a disappointing 2026.