Why Best Contact Hitter in Majors Would be Rockies Free Agency Fit

The Colorado Rockies haven’t signed a Major League free agent as of late December. This high-level contact hitter would make sense.

A detail view of a Colorado Rockies batting helmet in the seventh inning against the Chicago White Sox at Coors Field. / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The Colorado Rockies are heading toward the end of December having not signed a Major League free agent yet.

Only a few teams are in that boat with the Rockies. What it’s indicative of is unclear. Considering the franchise has new leadership in president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes, it’s likely two-fold — trying to avoid costly mistakes as they remake the organization and a commitment to seeing what’s already on the roster.

Yet, the Rockies are coming off a franchise-worst 119-loss season that saw them flirt with the worst record in baseball history. It was rock bottom, as it was Colorado’s third-straight 100-loss season. The goals may be modest, but the Rockies shouldn’t be shy about signing attainable talent.

MLB.com’s Andrew Simon wrote about 14 remaining free agents and connected them to a new team. Surprisingly, the Rockies made the list and the player Simon selected makes sense — Luis Arraez.

Why Luis Arraez to the Rockies?

Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Luis Arraez is baseball’s best contact hitter. He’s a three-time batting champion, a three-time All-Star and a two-time Silver Slugger at his position. He led the National League with a career-high .354 batting average in 2023 with Miami. A ‘bad” season for the left-handed hitter looks like the .292 season he just wrapped up with the San Diego Padres.

Some analytics don’t like him, especially his lack of power, though he has a .777 career OPS. But he carries a slash line of .317/.363/.413 for his career, and his batting average is the best among active players. Using the traditional methods used to evaluate hitters, there are few better than Arraez.

First, he can boost Colorado’s batting average immediately. The Rockies carried a team slash of .237/.293/.386. The batting average was No. 23 in the Majors. Arraez’s career standard, along with the thin are at Coors Field for 81 games, would help his average and boost his power. He averages seven home runs per 162 games.

Second, he can play multiple positions. He played first base at San Diego out of necessity. But he can also play second base and third base, meaning he doesn’t have to supplant a current starter. He can bounce to different positions, back up current players, serve as a designated hitter and take over a position due to injury.

The best part is that he’s projected for the type of deal that Colorado could afford, somewhere in the $10-12 million per year range. A short-term deal boosts Colorado’s batting average and doesn’t cut off the pathway for young players to make the Majors.

The question is whether the two parties would bite on a deal. There are benefits to both of them on a short-term basis.

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