Reds may have found their ideal hitter in Luis Arraez but there's a catch

Joey Votto had a point when he came out in defense of batting average back in September. In the context of the Cincinnati Reds' lineup, it's even more important. The Reds ranked dead last in the majors with a .229 team batting average in 2026. They also put up the league's worst strikeout rate at 25.5%.

The obvious answer is to add more contact-oriented hitters this offseason. Some may clamor to trade for Steven Kwan, but despite the rumors, the Cleveland Guardians have come out and said that they're not trading him. On top of that, Kwan is a problematic pick due to the fact he only has one more year of team control, would clear out most of Cincinnati's already thin farm system, would only add another left-handed-hitting outfielder to the club's collection of lefty outfielders, and is coming off an uneven 2026 campaign.

There's a better option on the free-agent market for the organization to consider. That would be second baseman Luis Arraez. Positionally, he fits the Reds' needs better, either as a replacement for Matt McLain or as a means to move McLain to center field.

Moreover, when it comes to contact prowess and avoiding strikeouts, there's no one better than the three-time batting champ. Arraez struck out just 4.3% of the time in 2026, and has a career K-rate of 5.8%. Put him in front of Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart, the latter of whom in particular excels with ducks on the pond.

But signing Arraez isn't all sunshine and rainbows. The 29-year-old might be a great fit offensively, but beyond that, he provides more question marks than answers.

Luis Arraez fits the Reds' offense beautifully, but he might not fit the team's philosophy

Despite its importance to Terry Francona, Cincinnati still struggles to field the ball cleanly and make impactful plays to help the pitching staff. In 2026, the Reds ranked 27th with -31 defensive runs saved, 16th with two outs above average, 19th with a .984 fielding percentage, and committed 89 errors, which was the 12th-most in baseball.

For much of his career, Arraez has been a putrid defender at second base. In fact, he's often been moved to first base, where his glove has also historically been subpar, but at least the position is less important.

The one caveat is how he performed during the first half of 2026 with the San Francisco Giants. There, he posted 11 OAA, a reasonable -3 DRS, and a .988 fielding percentage, committing just five errors over 103 games. After being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, things seemed to fall apart.

In Philadelphia, Arraez recorded -1 DRS and -3 OAA in less than half the time that he was in San Francisco. In his 46 games in the City of Brotherly Love, he posted a .984 fielding percentage and committed three errors.

It's not hard to look at his reputation, the surprisingly solid defensive performance with the Giants, and the drop-off with the Phillies and point to the impact that San Francisco's infield coach Ron Washington had on him. Washington has long been regarded as the best in the business when it comes to coaching up defensive excellence in the infield.

Without Washington by his side, Arraez fell off, and given Cincinnati's defensive struggles, it's hard to believe that this coaching staff can get him back on track. Ultimately, this deficiency, plus the other holes in his offensive game (he has no power and never walks), might be too much to overcome for the Reds to consider signing him.

Finally, money could be an issue. Former Reds GM Jim Bowden predicts Arraez will sign a three-year, $60 million contract. Take that for what it's worth, but it should be clear that he gets a multi-year deal with significant money this winter. It's just tough to see Cincinnati stretch its budget for a player with this many drawbacks. If the Reds did, the offseason would basically be Arraez and nothing else, which is something they'd live to regret.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow