Should Tigers Take Big Swing on Former All-Star Luis Arraez This Offseason?
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Luis Arraez won three straight batting titles from 2022 to 2024 with three different teams, creating an interesting decision for the Tigers. Detroit has openings but also specific needs that complicate whether the contact specialist fits their 2026 plans.
Detroit's Complicated Fit for Arraez
Gleyber Torres already locked down second base after accepting a $22.025 million qualifying offer in November 2025. He posted a career-high .358 on-base percentage with elite plate discipline during his 2025 All-Star season and now ranks as the second-highest paid Tiger behind Javier Baez. Arraez's natural position isn't available.
First base offers the clearest opening. Spencer Torkelson rebounded to hit .240 with 31 homers and 78 RBI across 155 games in 2025, but questions remain about his consistency. The former first overall pick showed power but still carries risk after his 2024 struggles.
The case for Arraez centers on his track record. He won batting titles in 2022, 2023, and 2024 with elite contact skills and rare consistency. But 2025 brought his first real slump. He hit just .292, the lowest average of his career, and finished without a batting title for the first time since becoming a full-time player.
The case against him focuses on Detroit's real needs and Arraez's declining production. The Tigers ranked outside the top 10 in nearly every major offensive category except home runs in 2025. They need middle-order thunder to protect Riley Greene. Arraez finished 2025 with a 99 OPS+, essentially league-average production. His singles-heavy approach doesn't address the lineup's power void, and his worst season raises questions about whether he's peaked.
The money works for Detroit. Teams project Arraez will land a two-to-three-year deal worth roughly $14.1 million annually. That price feels reasonable, but only if the Tigers view him as part of a larger offensive overhaul rather than the main solution.
MLB Analyst Makes Strong Case for Detroit
Not everyone sees the fit as complicated. MLB Network analyst Matt Vasgersian sees things differently. He made his case for Detroit, arguing the Tigers should pursue the three-time batting champion.
"Detroit for me. They need a guy that's not going to punch out, that's going to move a rally along and move a baserunner. The king of contact fits right in Detroit," Vasgersian said on the network's Hot Stove segment.
The Angels play-by-play announcer dismissed concerns about Arraez's lack of power, defending the value of pure contact in today's strikeout-heavy game.
"This is a guy — I hate the argument that people make that he doesn't slug. I get it. He doesn't slug. Neither did Rod Carew. He's in the Hall of Fame. There's still a place for a guy that's going to get a single and double you to death. I don't care if the exit velocity's no good. I don't care about that."
His Rod Carew comparison highlights the divide around Arraez. Some evaluators prize rare contact skills in a three-true-outcomes era, believing his 2025 dip was injury-related and temporary. Others prioritize power and on-base percentage, viewing his declining batting average as evidence that even his signature skill is fading.
Detroit faces a strategic choice about how to build its 2026 lineup. Arraez offers a proven track record at a reasonable price, though his worst season raises red flags. But he doesn't solve the power problem that held them back in 2025. The Tigers must decide if betting on a bounce-back from a three-time batting champion makes sense, or if they need to aim higher for the middle-order bat that can truly change their offense.
