“He’s one of the best, if not the best,” Padres players highly praise Luis Arraez as Marlins finalize blockbuster trade of 2024 season

Marlins teammates sad to see Luis Arraez go early in the season, while Padres celebrate the joining of their next powerhouse.

“He’s one of the best, if not the best,” Padres players highly praise Luis Arraez as Marlins finalize blockbuster trade of 2024 season

Luis Arraez [Image Credit: Imago]

Luis Arraez’s trade from the San Diego Padres to the Miami Marlins created waves on social media platforms on Saturday morning. Padres GM A.J. Preller finalized yet another blockbuster deal, which is also being considered as one of the tremendous deals of the 2024 season.

Pitcher Dylan Cease commented on the deal saying “There’s just a commitment to going out and doing what it takes, and I really respect that.” The arrangement sent Woo-Suk Go, Dillon Head, Jakob Marsee, and Nathan Martorella to the Marlins as part of the deal.

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Padres celebrated the inclusion of Arraez to their team following their 7-1 victory over Arizona Diamondbacks. Jake Cronenworth, Padres first baseman, highly praised the 27-year-old noting,

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He’s one of the best, if not the best, in the game in terms of contact and what he does at plate. And he just fits…wherever he’s gonna hit is huge for us.
Jake Cronenworth as per Dennis Lin of The Athletic.

Dylan Cease added that Luis Arraez is one of the best contact hitters in baseball and “he definitely would make any team a lot better.” Fernando Tatis Jr. on the other hand compared Arraez to Padres legend Tony Gwynn, saying he’s excited to see the star on their team lineup.

Manny Machado further vouched for Arraez’s capability as a baseman saying, “We got one of the best hitters in the game,” adding he’s excited to see what blockbuster moves Preller further makes in the season. He believes the ex-Marlins player will be a good fit both for the team and in the locker room.

“It’s kind of upsetting” Marlins veteran Jazz Chisholm Jr. on Luis Arraez’s trade

While the San Diego Padres are happy to have Luis Arraez in their lineup, the Miami Marlins find it hard to say goodbye to their friend and teammate. GM Skip Schumaker admitted that it was hard to break the news about the trade 15 minutes before the first pitch.

Luis Arraez and Jazz Chisholm Jr. [Image Credit: Imago/Draftkings Network]
Luis Arraez and Jazz Chisholm Jr. [Image Credit: Imago/Draftkings Network]

Schumaker expresses that the initial shock may be hard to handle but he hopes “it goes away in a couple of days or tomorrow.” Adding some harsh truth to his words, he further said “it’s business and you’re paid to win games and be professional.”

Arraez is one of our leaders in the clubhouse, great teammate.
Skip Schumaker as per Cole Jacobson and Alex Espinoza of MLB.com.

According to reports, Arraez’s locker room was cleared out by the time the reporters came in for interview questions. Veteran Jazz Chisholm Jr. expressed how hard it was to see one of his closest friends leave the team early in the season. 

You’re just wishing your brother some luck. If anything, we were trying to go out there and let him leave on a high note…It’s kind of upsetting that we didn’t send him off on a good note.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. as per Cole Jacobson and Alex Espinoza of MLB.com.

Following last year’s disappointing results, Padres want to make sure their team is ready for the playoffs this time around. This latest trade with the Marlins added further power to their team after Cease’s debut with the team. Currently, the Marlins place 2nd in the NL West with a 16-18 record.

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