Contract extension? Batting champ Arraez says he’s open to a new deal: ‘I love Miami’
JUPITER
Luis Arraez has made the point clear several times and reiterated it this week: He is open to signing a contract extension with the Marlins.
“I love Miami,” the second baseman said Monday at Marlins camp. “My family’s here. I love the fans. They support me a lot. Let’s see what happens.”
Right now, not a lot has happened. Arraez said he has not had communication with the team about a long-term deal. Arraez, 26, is under team control through the 2025 season and will make $10.6 million this season after losing his arbitration case with the Marlins last week. Arraez filed for $12 million.
“I love that he wants to stay here,” Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said Tuesday.
“I would much prefer players want to stay here than not. That’s the kind of culture that we’re building, and those conversations happen in due time. That’s something that we’re going to keep internal, but it’s really meaningful when you have really good players who want to be here.”
Arraez, acquired 13 months ago from the Minnesota Twins for starter Pablo Lopez and a pair of prospects, hit .354 in 2023. That’s the best for a single season in Marlins history.
Couple that with his American League batting title in 2022, and Arraez is the first player in MLB history to win a batting title in consecutive seasons in different leagues
Two others have won a batting title in both leagues, but they weren’t in consecutive years. DJ LeMahieu was a batting champion with Colorado in the National League in 2016 and with New York in the American League in 2020. Ed Delahanty won the NL title with Philadelphia in 1899 and the AL title with Washington in 1902.
Arraez is the first player to hit above .350 in a full season since Josh Hamilton in 2010 (.359) with Texas and the first in the
NL since Chipper Jones (.364) with Atlanta and Albert Pujols (.357) with St. Louis in 2008.
Arraez hit for the first cycle in Marlins history April 11 against Philadelphia and had three fivehit games, seven games with at least four hits and 20 with at least three hits.
“We love Luis Arraez,” Marlins chairman and principal owner Bruce Sherman said.
Beyond his performance on the field, Arraez is a favorite among the fans and inside the clubhouse. His personality is infectious and he finds a way to bring out the best in his teammates.
After the team’s workout Monday, Arraez signed autographs for a crowd of about 20 people outside the parking lot of the Marlins’ side of the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex.
He’s selfless. He’s a hard worker. And, eventually, he’s going to have to get paid if the Marlins want to keep him.
Until then, Arraez is going to keep reminding himself to keep his head down and help the Marlins attempt to make the playoffs for a second consecutive season.
“Business is business,” Arraez said. “I’m here now to help my team win. Make the playoffs first.”
SPRING GAMES ON TV
Seven of the Marlins’ 30 Grapefruit League games will be aired on Bally Sports Florida. Those games:
Saturday’s opener vs. St. Louis (1:05 p.m.)
March 3 vs. St. Louis (1:05 p.m.)
March 10 vs. St. Louis (1:10 p.m.)
March 15 vs. St. Louis (6:05 p.m.)
March 16 vs. Philadelphia (1:10 p.m.)
March 20 vs. N.Y. Mes (1:10 p.m.)
March 22 vs. St. Louis (6:40 p.m.).
An additional 14 games will be live streamed on Marlins.com.